What does the Bible say about different talents?
James 1:17 tells us that every gift is from God. We all have different talents and God-given gifts, but they are all important and can be used for God's kingdom.
God made us different from one another so “He wouldn't be bored.” Or, to put it another way, “God likes to see different faces,” says Kallan, 7. “The world would be so plain if everyone was the same,” says Amanda, 10.
The things you enjoy doing, are good at, and make you feel accomplished and fulfilled—these are your God-given talents and abilities.
The "Parable of the Talents", in Matthew 25:14–30 tells of a master who was leaving his house to travel, and, before leaving, entrusted his property to his servants. According to the abilities of each man, one servant received five talents, the second had received two, and the third received only one.
Everyone is gifted with something special within them that make them different from others. It does take time to nurture that hidden potential, but once it is unleashed, it is bound to shine to its brightest. There's no one stopping you from chasing what you want. It all comes down to how much you want to achieve it.
Talents Are Inherited / Gifts Are Received
This is perhaps the biggest and most important difference. Natural talents are those abilities inherited from one's parents and nurtured in the context of one's family.
He makes all decisions without any counsel or reason external to Himself. God did not chose anyone because they were more worthy than others or because there is something praiseworthy in them or because He foresaw that they would believe in Him. His decision to save some is solely because it pleases Him to do so.
No two people have the same identical DNA. God wanted us to be uniquely different, and at the same time, have some of the same characteristics and traits of our parents. This is why when we were born, we may have ended up with our mother's eyes and our father's hair.
One of the major reasons faith in Jesus is different from other religions is that He doesn't demand perfection from us or ask us to achieve some higher state of living before we can be allowed into heaven. He really just wants a relationship with us. He wants us to get to know Him and believe in His plan for our lives.
Using Your God-Given Talents to Serve Others
As the Bible reminds us in 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV), “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others.”
What did Jesus mean by talents?
It is a great responsibility with great reward as described in the Parable of the Talents. Jesus tells the story of a rich man who has three slaves. He gives each slave an amount of money, referred to as talents and possibly talents of gold, based upon that man's ability to steward and care for the money.
As adults, many of us feel we know what we're good (and not so good) at. But the truth is we all have hidden talents—the skills we possess that we never knew we had. We're just not always so adept at identifying what they are. Sometimes they can be right in front of us, and we miss them.
