Talents And Their Uses

Thomas Kinkade, known to the world as the Painter of Light for his astounding ability to bring the glow of reality to his work, is a devout Christian. His website, thomaskinkade.com, says this of his purpose:

"Kinkade credits the Lord for both the ability and the inspiration to create his paintings. His goal as an artist is to touch people of all faiths, to bring peace, and joy into their lives through the images he creates."

Kinkade's talent is painting. His faith is in Christ. The effectiveness of his talent comes from his innate ability to create art that connects with our love for, and our appreciation of, beauty.

What is your goal, Christian? Does your talent touch people of all faiths? Too often we suppress our God-given talents in our impatience to see people converted. We often forget, God uses our talents to bless these people's lives. We worry and fret, trying to "make a difference for Christ", and we miss the opportunity to serve someone, to brighten their day, to bless them.

An interesting example of this is found in the music of one of the most famous classical composers of all time, Johann Sebastian Bach. His works are known world-wide, played, replayed and re-interpreted by countless musicians. He wrote many hymns, and much of his music is suspected to have orthodox Lutheran symbolism tied into the music itself; but the reason so many people could enjoy and relate to his music is because it transcended the traditional church service and was enjoyed by believer and unbeliever alike. The beauty of his music is lauded today, and his influence on people's lives is enormous, even though most of his music is instrumental.

Let's all learn a lesson from these and other influential Christians in history: don't fret and worry, searching for a mission or spiritual ministry. Bring your talents to the hurting, the hopeless, and the helpless, and direct all praise and honor to God.