Everyone has a gifting – some talent or skill that God has blessed them with. So, what is yours? And how are you fulfilling the command in 1 Peter 4:10, using it “to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (ESV)? Sometimes it can be hard to know where to start. That is why we’ve provided nine steps to help you glorify God with the gifts He has given you.
1. Find your gift whether it is a God-given talent or a Spiritual Gift.
The best way to begin using your gifts to glorify God is to identify which talents you enjoy using, and which ones you would like to invest time in. Consider things that are easy for you, whether that is a sport, an artform, a subject in school, or a social skill. Some good questions to help you identify your talent are:
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- What do you like to do in your free time?
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- What spiritual gifts do you possess?
You may be able to identify a variety of skills that come naturally to you, or there may be one that you are looking to hone in on. Either way, keep one of these talents in mind as you move through the following steps to glorify God with it using these practical and achievable tactics.
2. Thank God for your gift.
Before you take action when it comes to your gift, take time to thank God for giving you that ability. God picked out specific skills for you to share with the world in order to point back to Him as our creator. Say this prayer as a thanks to God:
“Dear Lord, thank you for creating me with these gifts. I see your craftmanship in my strengths, and desire to use them to honor you…”
3. Pray and ask how you can glorify God with your talents.
Continue your prayer by asking:
“God, please give me guidance in the best way to glorify You with this gift. I pray that through my strengths, others would be able to see You and know that I am Yours. Please open my eyes to opportunities to use my gift to spread the Gospel. Thank you, again, for giving me these abilities. Amen.”
4. Practice your passion.
This step is straightforward – work on mastering your gift. In order to stay equipped in using your talents to glorify God, keep exercising the muscles that you use for this gift. A great way to keep up with this is to create a practice schedule. Choose a date and time once a week when you will spend time dedicated to refining the strength you have chosen to focus on.
5. Study scripture that gives guidance regarding gifts and how to glorify God using them.
Here are some scripture passages to meditate on that tell us God created us with these gifts on purpose:
“So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them,” Genesis 1:27 (ESV).
“But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand,” Isaiah 64:8 (ESV).
And here are some verses that remind us to thank God for our talents:
“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well,” Psalm 139:14 (ESV).
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created,” Revelation 4:11 (ESV).
Honor God by taking time to read His word. Reflect on passages regarding this topic could help you discover the best way to give glory to God through your strengths.
6. Share your gift with your family.
Talk to your parents about your gift. Share your ideas for how you can use your gift to glorify God. Ask if you can brainstorm with them to come up with more opportunities to do this. Show your talent to your siblings, too. Ask your siblings about their gifts. By initiating conversation with your family members, they can share their wisdom and experience when it comes to using your passions for God’s glory.
7. Share your gift with your friends.
We want to do the same thing with our friends. Show them your talent and ask them about theirs. Then, together you can look for opportunities to share your gifts with others. Encourage them to recognize God’s hand in their abilities and pray for them to have guidance in this area.
8. Volunteer your strengths for your church.
Once you feel confident in your ability use your gift publicly, talk to your youth pastor about opportunities to use your gift at your church. Some opportunities might be singing or playing an instrument on your worship team, creating art for your church’s weekly program, coaching or playing for your church’s sports ministry team, or assisting in children’s ministry classes. Remember, one way to glorify God is by blessing others! Be thinking of ways to use your gift to bless your family, friends, and church.
9. Connect with people who share your passion – and those who do not.
Whether it’s at church or at school, finding others who were made with the same talents as you is a great way to grow in those areas by pushing each other to practice more and encouraging each other to display your gifts. A great way to do this is by joining clubs or teams at your school that will connect you with peers who share that interest. Additionally, it can be a great idea to team up with others who have different talents than you to expand your opportunities to glorify God together!
Hopefully, these nine steps will help you get started identifying your giftings and bringing glory to God. Don’t wait! Remember the words of Paul in Ephesians 2:10: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (ESV).
