Serve one another with whatever gift
each of you has received.
—1 Peter 4:10
William Sanday described the wilderness temptations of Jesus as “the problem of what to do with supernatural powers.” Knowing what he had the power to do, Jesus could have employed it to his advantage.
Borrowing Sanday’s observation, the problem is what to do with our strengths, for that is the point at which we are most often tempted. If we have a gift of good looks, talent, position, charisma, or money, we will be tempted to use it to our advantage. So, our strength often becomes our weakness.
God has given each of us a gift, a strong point. There is the temptation to use that gift selfishly. We face two questions regarding our strengths: “How can I use this gift to promote myself?” or, “How can I use this gift to serve others?”
Your talent is God’s gift to you.
Your unselfish use of it is his gift to others.