1 Peter 4:10 says, “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” Every person that is born is given by the sovereignty of God certain talents and passions. Every born-again believer is given certain spiritual gifts to be used along with those talents and passions for the glory of God and the furtherance of His Kingdom. As we consider stewardship of our talents, there are several principles that we can apply.

               The principle of development. The talents and gifts that we are given does not just come to us overnight. They are seeds planted in us and those seeds must be watered and developed. There are several ways that our talents and gifts are developed. First, they are developed by personal study. 2 Timothy 2:15 says, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.” To have God’s favor upon us as a workman in His Kingdom, we must be lifetime students. Personal study is imperative to the development of our God-given gifts and talents. We should be students of God’s Word so that we can know and understand the purpose of our gifts and talents. We should study the field from which our talents derive to hone our skills to be used in greater ways for the Glory of God. For example, if you have the talent of being an electrician, you should study God’s Word to learn how you can use that talent for His glory and the furtherance of His Kingdom. At the same time, you should continually study proper electrician methods to hone your skills and be the best electrician you can be. As a pastor, I will often attend various conferences and take various classes that help to improve my preaching and leadership skills. You cannot grow in the gifts and talents God has given you unless you are a student. Secondly, they are developed through godly mentorship. I am a firm believer in the practice of discipleship mentoring. I believe that every believer should have someone that is mentoring them and someone that they are mentoring. You need somebody to pour into you, to invest in you; and you need to be doing the same for someone else. There are several examples of mentoring in the Bible. Teachers and students such as Elijah and Elisha and Paul and Timothy and Moses and Joshua, just to name a few. A godly mentor will encourage you by being honest and straightforward, telling you what you need to hear and not just what you want to hear. Be sure to have a mentor that has similar talents and gifts that you have been given. Let them help you to develop those skills by walking along side of you. Our God-given gifts and talents are also developed through practice. I am sure you have heard the saying to ‘use it before you lose it.’ If you do not practice what you have been given you may lose that talent all together. The parable of the talents may apply here. Read Matthew 25:14-30. The servant that did nothing with what he was given, lost it all. God gives us certain gifts to be used for His glory and His Kingdom. When we do nothing with what God gives us, we fail to be good stewards and risk losing the very thing that God placed into our care. This applies on so many different levels. It applies to how we handle our finances. It applies to our relationships. It applies to the church. Yes, it applies to our talents and gifts. We must practice the skills God has given us. We must work to hone those skills. For me, sometime on Sunday evening or Monday morning I will watch the sermon from the previous Sunday. I do this to evaluate myself and see if there are areas I need to improve in preaching God’s Word. I am also accustomed to practicing the sermon before I preach on Sundays. I may walk around the house or around my office, practicing the sermon. A good ball player knows that he or she cannot be successful if they do not practice. A piano player cannot grace their listeners if they do not practice. A mechanic cannot fix a car if he or she never actually works on a car. Practicing in a very hands-on way is imperative to developing the skills that God has given you. Do you have a personal study time? Do you have mentor to encourage you? Do you practice the skills God has given you? Are you being a good steward by developing the gifts and talents that God has given you?

               The Principle of doing your best. 1 Peter 4:11 says, “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth….” Peter says that if God gives you the gift of public speaking, for example, to speak the Word of God with the ability that God gives. Remember, our gifts and talents come from God. We should strive to do our very best with what God has given us. This is why the principle of development is so important. We should work to develop and hone our skills so that we can be the very best at what we do. As believers in Christ we should strive for perfection. As a pastor, I should strive to be the best pastor the world has ever seen. If you are a school teacher, you should work to be the best teacher the school has ever had. If you are a ball coach, you should strive to be the best coach in history. Doing our best is not just some familiar cliché. It is a Biblical principle. Cain’s offering was rejected because it was not his best. Be your best, do your best, in so doing you will be a good steward of the gifts and talents God has given you.

               The Principle of Purpose. What is the purpose for what we do? Why are you gifted to be a plumber, or a law enforcement officer, or a school teacher, or a songwriter, or a factory worker, or store clerk, or a chef, or a missionary, or a preacher? The purpose is found in what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:22, “…I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” Paul recognized his purpose in all that he was gifted to do was to bring as many people to Jesus as possible. You are a plumber, to reach people for Jesus. You are a law enforcement officer, to reach people for Jesus. You are a school teacher, to reach people for Jesus. You are a songwriter, to reach people for Jesus. You are a factory worker, to reach people for Jesus. You are a store clerk to reach people for Jesus. You are a nurse, to reach people for Jesus. The purpose for your gifts and talents is to bring others to Jesus. The reason you are in this earth and the reason you have the abilities that you have is to be a missionary. You are to live a missional life by using the gifts God has given you to persuade others to follow Jesus. This is your purpose.

               The doxological principle. At the end 1 Peter 4:11 we read, “…that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion forever. Amen.” We should be good stewards of the gifts and talents that God gives us so that He is glorified. We are to use the talents that God has given us, not to draw attention to ourselves, but to point people to Jesus. John said in John 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” It’s not about me or you or about our little kingdoms, it is all about Jesus. Everything we do should be done in a way that exalts the name of Jesus. He must be lifted up.

               Every ability we have is given to us and empowered by God. To be a good steward of your talents, it is vitally important that you recognize where those abilities came from. Follow the principles of being a good steward of your talents and watch how God does a work in a through you that is beyond anything you could possibly imagine.