What are you good at? What do you enjoy? You may have a gift for communication. You lead others and are good at public speaking or writing. Or perhaps you enjoy researching a topic or planning events. No matter what it is, there is something that you're passionate about or good at.

Your areas of intelligence are God-given gifts. God has blessed each of us with unique talents and gifts.

God gave you these gifts. He wants you to use them to serve others and advance His kingdom. In this post, we'll explore how to find your God-given gifts and use them to make a positive impact on the world.

Find Your God-Given Gifts

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. – James 1:17, NIV

Each of our gifts and talents was given to us uniquely by God. Whether you have an idea of what your gifts and talents are or not, we encourage you to explore them deeply.

We've put together some exercises to help you discover your gifts and talents.

Identifying your strengths

What energizes you?

Look at your work history. What were the daily tasks involved in each of your roles? Write them all down.

Now, bucket each task based on whether you found it energizing, de-energizing, or neutral. For instance, if you worked as an office admin, you might have found analyzing data in Excel to be an energy-sucking task. But talking to prospective customers was energizing for you. Take note of this, and see if there are any themes with the tasks you find energizing- why do you find them energizing?

While our interests should not be the most important factor in finding our talents & gifts, it's an excellent place to start.

Ask Others for Feedback

Our interests and passions uncover some information for us. But sometimes, others can see our strengths more clearly than we can. Ask trusted friends, family, or mentors what they think your talents might be.

Common mistakes

there are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.
– 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

One trap that some people fall into is comparing their gifts and talents to those of their friends, family, and especially their coworkers. Your talents will differ from others. God gave us our gifts not so we can compare ourselves to others but as a blessing uniquely so that we can serve God's plan.

Another mistake we see Christians make is putting too much importance on passion. Passion can certainly hint at your gifts and talents, but it is not the sole indicator of God's purpose for your life.

For example, Moses didn't have a passion for public speaking when God called him to stand up to Pharaoh, and Jonah had no desire to carry out his vocation in Nineveh.

What to do instead of following you passion

Instead of solely following your passion, we recommend focusing on 1-2 important problems close to God's heart. Through our extensive research, we’ve put together a list of important causes that you can work on to help uplift God’s Kingdom. This list could be a great place to start.

Take action: Journal Prompts

What does a flourishing world look like to you?
How does scripture shape your vision?
God's calling—What do you think are the top 1-3 most pressing problems facing the world today? We recommend you explore our problem profiles to help compare and rank problems.
What skills might serve your top-ranked problems? Maybe you haven't fully developed these skills yet. That's okay.
Which of these skills would I be interested in developing? Talents rarely come fully developed. Your gifts require practice and dedication.

How to Use Your God-Given Talents

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms.
– 1 Peter 4:10, NIV

God calls us to be faithful stewards of our talents, using them to serve others and bring glory to Him. Whether your talent is speaking, serving, creating, or leading, there are countless ways to use your gifts to make a difference.

Choose to Act with Purpose

Your gifts are not just for personal gain. At Christian for Impact, we encourage a problem-first approach to careers.

What does this mean in practice? You focus on the challenges God wants you to address rather than simply following your passion.

By aligning your talents with God's purpose, you can have a massive impact on the world around you.

Apply Your Talents in Your Career

God can use your professional life to further His kingdom. At Christian for Impact, we believe in pursuing a career that tackles real-world problems that matter to God. This could mean using your skills to address issues like poverty, disease, or spiritual darkness. Your talents can be more than just a job; they can be a powerful tool for change.

Make a Lasting Impact with Your Gifts

Using your gifts isn't about being perfect or always having it figured out. It's about letting God work through you, even when you can't see the complete picture.

Your God-given gifts and talents are powerful tools that can make a real difference in the lives of others.

If you're ready to explore how to use your gifts to make an impact, feel welcome to contact us. We're offering free career consultations for Christians who want to use God's gifts to impact the world.

Your talents are a part of God's plan for your career. When you use them to serve others, you are participating in His work to make the world a better place.

Using Your God-Given Gifts & Talents To Help Others