Your Gifts Are Intended to Point People to God 

Last week we discussed how your gift will make room for you.  We also mentioned that our gifts should advance the kingdom of heaven.  One of the primary purposes of our gifts is to point people to God.  Through our gifts, people will see God in us.  People will see that God gave each of us a variety of unique talents and abilities that could have only come from God.  Our gifts can serve as an avenue to reach people for God or to speak into the lives of others.

“So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 1:11, 12 (NLT) 

Unfortunately, you CAN use your gift without acknowledging God.

It is completely possible to operate in your gifts and use them well but still not point people to God.  Unfortunately, we see it every day in the secular world.  You don’t have to be Christian to be gifted—God has gifted EVERYONE.  You also don’t have to be Christian to figure out that you can use your gifts to become prosperous.  There are droves of celebrities worldwide that are not Christians.  They have discovered their gifts and have used them to get wealth, fame, honor and influence.  God MEANT for our gifts to do this…but that’s only half of their purpose.  Additionally, God intended for our gifts to direct others back to Him, to point people to God which is where the gifts came from in the first place.  We need to keep in mind that someday God will hold us accountable for how we used our gifts too.

God is absolutely big enough and powerful enough to not only use our gifts to bless us but to point people to Him without it removing any of the benefits.  We will NOT suffer if we use our gifts to glorify God.  That doesn’t necessarily mean that we all need to be missionaries or in ministry.  We can be used right where we are to point people to God.

Through serving others with our gifts and talents and by doing something well, it will give us an opportunity to be the hands, feet, and face of Jesus!

We will have opportunities to show God and His love, kindness and excellence in our everyday work and people will see something different about us.  They will ask about the hope within us.

“A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.” 1 Corinthians 12:7 (NLT)

 “…Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have…” 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV) 

Sometimes we are the only Jesus that people see.  We are his representatives.  Therefore, we need to point people to God by making Jesus look good.  We need to represent him well.  We can use our gifts and talents to do this (in addition to our everyday love and actions toward others…read more on that here in “Make Me Feel Important”).

We can draw people to us and point people to God based on how we live our lives, by what we do, and by how well we do it.  We can make people want what we have (make them thirsty like salt does) because we could have something that they’re missing.  We need to let people see a joy and a hope in us as we operate in our gifts…because remember, joy is an automatic byproduct of doing so.  We can use our gifts as an opportunity to minister.

Shine!

We need to point people to God by being a light in a dark world.  We are meant to shine.  Our gifts cause us to shine!  Subsequently, our prosperity and happiness from those gifts and then what we do with those benefits will make us shine even more.  By shining we can point people to God and lead many to righteousness.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)

“Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.” Daniel 12:3 (NIV)

Be fruitful and multiply God’s image.

In one study I did, it mentioned that part of our God-given purpose and calling on this earth is to fill the earth with images of God and show God in everything that we do.  The principle is based on the fact that the bible says that WE are made in God’s image.  It also says that we are to be “fruitful and multiply”.  Therefore, we should be multiplying God’s images and filling the earth with them.  We are to show God’s image in whatever our task may be…be it our career, our role, our hobbies, our serving, etc.  This again emphasizes the point that our gifts, talents, calling and purpose should always point people to God. 

“Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:26-27 (NLT)

“…For God made human beings in his own image.” Genesis 9:6b (NLT)

“Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”” Genesis 1:28 (NLT)

“Then God blessed Noah and his sons and told them, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth.” Genesis 9:1 (NLT)

It’s rewarding to point people to God.

It’s so rewarding to know when I point people to God through my gifts.  I think we don’t always get to see our impact, especially if we don’t have a conversation about it.  When we do get the chance to see that we’ve made an impact there is a feeling of fulfillment!  I was fortunate enough to get this kind of feedback from one of my college students in a comment written in their portfolio.  (This is now a part of my “warm fuzzies folder“):

“One of the things that I learned from this course that wasn’t in the book and that was simply from the instructor was that you truly can have it all through faith and trusting in the Lord.  I know you didn’t teach on this, but I learned just by being around you and seeing how happy of a person you are and the stories you tell about your family and all.” 

It was such an honor to know that I had pointed this student to God without even teaching it.  One of my confessions for my daily living is that I will win people over without saying a word.  My goal is to do this with my life and through my gifts.  Therefore, my prayer for you is the same!

Take Some Practical Steps to Use Your Gifts to Point People to God:

• Ask yourself, “Are my gifts pointing people to God?” and “How so?” If you’re doing well, consider how you could continue.  If not, write down some ideas for improving.
• Use your gifts with excellence and with joy. You naturally do certain things well.  Do everything you do to the very best of your ability, and go above and beyond.  When you work for or with others show excellence in all that you do.  Be happy in your work.  It won’t go unnoticed.  You will stand out and people will notice that difference in you.  Doing this will point people to God both indirectly and possibly even directly (1 Peter 3:15).

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him… Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” Colossians 3:17, 23 (NIV)

• Use the influence that your gifts give you to point people to God. We already discussed how your gifts will make room for you and give you honor and influence—so USE that influence!  You will draw people to you when you use your gifts well.  Take that opportunity to be a witness for Jesus.  Make Jesus look good!  Win people TO YOU, and then win them to the Lord.  Use your gifts to build rapport and relationship.  Once you have developed that trust, they will value your opinion.  You will then have the right and invitation to speak into their lives about God.
• Don’t just use your gifts selfishly for your own gain, honor and fame.  Use your gifts to serve others. Use your gifts and the prosperity that they bring to bless others.  Serving and blessing others with your gifts will point people to God and will still be fulfilling for you at the same time.
• Remember that God made you in His image–Show God in everything you do and “multiply” that image.  Let God be evident in everything that you do.  Learn more about God, and then learn to duplicate that and be like Him.  Shine!
• Lastly and most importantly, remember that God is the one who gifted you in the first place.  Give God the credit for the things you do well.  Thank Him on a regular basis and acknowledge Him to others too.

What are some ways that you point people to God through your gifts?  Leave a comment below (click on the post link to join the conversation if you’re viewing through e-mail).

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