Natural talents and spiritual gifts

Those Christians Sure Talk Funny…In the many years before I was a Christian, I used to hear believers talk about their 'spiritual gifts'. They would describe their ability to sing or teach or perform a certain task, and for the life of me, these abilities just sounded like 'natural talents'. I came to the conclusion that those wacky Christians just had a language all their own and a strong desire to see everything as a gift from God when it could more easily be described in natural terms. Now that I'm a Christian myself, I'm beginning to realize that there are a number of abilities that have either emerged or blossomed in my own life. Were these just latent talents, or is there something to this 'spiritual gifting' stuff? Maybe it's time to take a second look at the issue of 'spiritual gifts' and compare them to what we used to think of as 'natural talents'.

It All Comes From God Anyway…Now, even before we start to look at the differences between 'gifts' and 'talents', we need to recognize that they all come from the same source. If we accept the premise that an all-powerful God is the creator of all matter and life, then it is reasonable to assume that abilities that ultimately emerge in our lives (even if we are quick to attribute them to genetics or environment), must ultimately come from the source of genetics and environment: the God who created everything in the first place! We can squabble over whether something is a talent or a gift, but we need to be careful, as thoughtful Christians, not to exchange the two words as if they had identical meaning. They don't.

So What Are They?…Everyone has some sort of natural talent. You may not think that you are particularly talented, but if you take a closer look at yourself, you'll discover that there is some ability that you possess that is stronger than all the rest. Sure, there may be someone out there who is better at that particular thing, but that's not the point; you also have an increased ability in this area relative to your other abilities. Maybe you're a better athlete than musician, or maybe you're a better artist than mathematician. You know where you are talented and where you are not.

But how do you know if that ability you are considering is a 'natural talent' or a 'spiritual gift'? Well, maybe we should start by looking at what the Bible has to say about spiritual gifts. Paul describes spiritual gifts in three places:

1 Corinthians 12:7-11…7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice(Or gives a word of wisdom.); to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.(Or gives a word of knowledge.)9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages,(Or in various tongues) while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

Romans 12:3-8…3 Because of the privilege and authority[a] God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.[]4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function,5 so it is with Christ's body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

Ephesians 4:10-12…He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;

Now some Christians look at these verses and wonder if the 'gift list' described here is exhaustive. Are these the only abilities that are actually 'spiritual gifts'? Are there any more? Well, considering the fact that Paul wrote these three letters to three different groups of believers and did not routinely repeat the same list of gifts, it's probably safe to assume that there are additional spiritual gifts that are NOT listed here. So the question is, what are the differences between natural talents and spiritual gifts, and how might we recognize a spiritual gift when we see one?……While one may develop his talents and later direct his profession or hobby along those lines, spiritual gifts were given by the Holy Spirit for the building up of Christ’s church. …In that, all Christians are to play an active part in the furtherance of the gospel of Christ. All are called and equipped to be involved in the "work of the ministry" Ephesians 4:12. All are gifted so that they can contribute to the cause of Christ out of gratitude for all He has done for them. In doing so, they also find fulfilment in life through their labour for Christ. It is the job of the church leaders to help build up the saints so they can be further equipped for the ministry to which God has called them. The intended result of spiritual gifts is that the church as a whole can grow, being strengthened by the combined supply of each member of Christ’s body.……There Are a Few Important Differences…Now I'm sure that there are a number of theologians who might disagree with each other when talking about talents and gifts, but there are a number of differences that seem obvious and clear. Let's take a look at the major differences:

Talents Are Inherited / Gifts Are Received…This is perhaps the biggest and most important difference. Natural talents are those abilities that are simply inherited from one's parents and nurtured in the context of one's family. We all know people who are talented and come from a long line of family members who share the same talent. If one member of such a family does NOT possess that talent, they typically will say something like, 'I didn't get the (insert talent here) gene". Natural talents are just that: 'natural'! They can be attributed to the natural genetic material that exists within all of us and is passed down from generation to generation. Spiritual gifts, on the other hand, come directly from the Spirit of God; that's why they are called 'gifts' in the first place! The "Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills." Natural talents are imparted at our natural birth; spiritual gifts are given when we are born again.

Talents Are Possessed by the Saved and Unsaved / Gifts Are Possessed by the Saved…Everyone, whether they are a believer or a non-believer, has some sort of talent, but only believers have spiritual gifts. The Spirit of God resides in each and every believer, and "God has allotted to each a measure of faith," and an ability that transcends our natural talents. Because the Spirit of God is the source for spiritual gifts, we shouldn't be surprised that those who have God's Spirit residing in them (those who are saved), would have more than natural talent; believers also have gifts of the Spirit:

The word of wisdom…The word of knowledge…Faith (extraordinary trust and surrender)…Gifts of healing…The effecting of miracles…Prophecy…The distinguishing of spirits…Tongues…The interpretation of tongues…Service…Teaching…Exhortation…Giving…Leadership…Mercy…Apostleship…Evangelism…Pastoral care

There are a number of spiritual gifts listed here that sound a lot like natural talents. After all, don't you know a non-Christian who is a talented leader or teacher? Non-believers can be very talented in some of these areas without having been given a gift of the Spirit. But in addition to the gifts that sound like talents possessed by non-believers, there are others on the list that seem specific to the lives of believers. Believers have many natural talents, but in addition to these talents, they are also gifted by God.

Talents Are Developed and Expected / Gifts Are Matured and Surprising…Let's say you are a talented leader and you then become a Christian. If God decides to use you in some role of leadership, you just may find your talent is greatly multiplied when God also gives you the spiritual gift of leadership. You may now discover that your leadership skills are above and beyond anything you were capable of doing prior to being saved. God has a tendency to surprise us in this way. We can all develop our natural talents with hard work and perseverance; we practice and train and along the way we can achieve the expected results. Spiritual gifts, on the other hand, are increased as we mature in our relationship with God:

Ephesians 4:14-16…14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

When we have been gifted by God to accomplish something, we should expect the unexpected. As we mature in our relationship with God, he will surprise us by gifting us beyond our natural talent.

Talents Can Be Used Selfishly / Gifts Are Used to Serve God's Purposes…The Bible clearly tells us that spiritual gifts are given to us for a specific reason. While we may find ourselves using our natural talent to serve our own selfish interests and desires, spiritual gifts have been given to us by God "for the common good" and to the glory of God; they are given to us so that we can give them back to God as we serve his purpose of building the family of believers. Spiritual gifts are given to us so that ALL of us can perform "the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ". That's why ALL of us are gifted in some way by God. We're not supposed to sit and watch the pastor do the work, we are supposed to get out and utilize the gifts that God has given us.

Natural talents are the result of our genetic inheritance and the training that results from our family environment. They are possessed by both believers and non-believers, and they can be used to serve God or serve ourselves. Spiritual gifts are given to us by the Spirit of God once we have been saved. They blossom as we mature in our faith and they are used to glorify God as we serve others and build the family of God.

Ok letslook at an example…I found one in the Old Testament that will help us understand the difference between natural talents and spiritual gifts. Moses gives us a glimpse of how God can use our talents, grow our gifts, and overcome our limitations. Let's join the story of Moses:…Exodus 2:11-15…11 Many years later, when Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his own people, the Hebrews, and he saw how hard they were forced to work. During his visit, he saw an Egyptian beating one of his fellow Hebrews.12 After looking in all directions to make sure no one was watching, Moses killed the Egyptian and hid the body in the sand.13 The next day, when Moses went out to visit his people again, he saw two Hebrew men fighting. "Why are you beating up your friend?" Moses said to the one who had started the fight.…14 The man replied, "Who appointed you to be our prince and judge? Are you going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?"

Then Moses was afraid, thinking, "Everyone knows what I did."15 And sure enough, Pharaoh heard what had happened, and he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian.When Moses arrived in Midian, he sat down beside a well.

Moses clearly had a natural inclination to act aggressively (maybe even a bit impulsively) as he quickly intervened in this situation. He also demonstrated a natural desire for leadership and justice as he sought to right the wrong perpetrated against the Hebrew slave. But it's also interesting to hear one of the Hebrews later accuse Moses of wanting to be a 'prince or judge over' them. Perhaps they saw that Moses' wanted to use his natural talents to serve himself in some way (or maybe they're just accusing him without justification). Whatever the case may be, we also get to see one of Moses' natural limitations as he succumbs to his fears and his natural sense of self preservation, fleeing to the land of Midian. Once he is there, he gets a chance to meet and speak with God at the 'burning bush':

Exodus 3:7…7 Then the Lord told him, "I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering.

Isn't it interesting that God came to Moses and began the discussion in an area that was of interest to Moses? God began the conversation with Moses' natural concern for justice? God knew Moses' talent and inclination and he was going to use this talent (along with a few additional gifts!). Moses and God then began what I refer to as the "Talent/Gift Conversation":

Exodus 3:10-11…10 Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt."…11 But Moses protested to God, "Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?"

God knew that Moses had the raw natural talent to get the job done and He alone also knew that He would give Moses the rest of the gifting required to complete the task. Unfortunately, Moses wasn't privy to this information! So as God told Moses what he was going to do through him, Moses was probably measuring his own natural talent and finding himself a bit limited

Exodus 4:1…But Moses protested again, "What if they won't believe me or listen to me? What if they say, 'The Lord never appeared to you'?"……God then reassured Moses by demonstrating some of the signs that he would also perform in front of Pharaoh. Moses was not all that reassured:

Exodus 4:10…10 But Moses pleaded with the Lord, "O Lord, I'm not very good with words. I never have been, and I'm not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled."…There you have it. Moses told God, in no uncertain terms, that he simply didn't have the natural talents required to do what God wanted to do. But God would have none of that. He simply responded by telling Moses that this was not a matter of natural talent; this was a matter of spiritual gifting:

Exodus 4:11-12…11 Then the Lord asked Moses, "Who makes a person's mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say."

God told Moses that He would gift him with the ability to speak and articulate God's message. God would give Moses the spiritual gifts of prophecy and leadership. But Moses still wasn't convinced

Exodus 4:13…13 But Moses again pleaded, "Lord, please! Send anyone else."……Moses was still not convinced that God would give him an ability that he didn't already possess. Moses knew his own natural talents, and he simply couldn't imagine that God could give him a spiritual gift. That didn't please God, who ultimately told Moses he could bring his brother to help him in Egypt:

Exodus 4:14-16…14 Then the Lord became angry with Moses. "All right," he said. "What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he speaks well. And look! He is on his way to meet you now. He will be delighted to see you. 15 Talk to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with both of you as you speak, and I will instruct you both in what to do. 16 Aaron will be your spokesman to the people. He will be your mouthpiece, and you will stand in the place of God for him, telling him what to say.

God told Moses that He could take Aaron along on the trip. Moses knew that Aaron had the natural talent of communication, but even at this point, Moses had to trust that God would give him spiritual gifts that he didn't already have. This meeting at the bush marks an important moment in Moses' life. There is no doubt that Moses may have heard about God from his father-in-law in Midian, but now Moses is a true believer. He's met God and heard his voice. The Spirit of God now resides in Moses and his gifting is assured.

You probably know how the story turns out (if not, take a minute and read through the Book of Exodus from Chapter 4 to Chapter 14, you'll be glad you did). Moses and Aaron returned to Egypt and ultimately confronted Pharaoh over and over again as they demonstrated the power of God through the plagues and miraculous events performed by God. As you read the narrative, watch how Aaron and Moses develop their gifts. Moses began by letting Aaron talk to the elders of Israel to tell them what would happen. Not only did Aaron do all the talking, Aaron also did all the miracle working.

Exodus 4:29-31…29 Then Moses and Aaron returned to Egypt and called all the elders of Israel together. 30 Aaron told them everything the Lord had told Moses, and Moses performed the miraculous signs as they watched. 31 Then the people of Israel were convinced that the Lord had sent Moses and Aaron. When they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.

When things didn't go well initially, Moses was filled with doubt. He questioned God several times in the early going and even continued to remind God that he simply didn't have the talent needed to persuade Pharaoh. But God had already gifted Moses as a prophet, even if Moses wasn't aware of this fact:

Exodus 7:1-2…Then the Lord said to Moses, "Pay close attention to this. I will make you seem like God to Pharaoh, and your brother, Aaron, will be your prophet. 2 Tell Aaron everything I command you, and Aaron must command Pharaoh to let the people of Israel leave his country.……Moses was 80 years old during all of this. He knew the talents he had possessed in those 80 years and never imagined that God would now give him a spiritual gift beyond his natural abilities. But that is exactly what God did. Moses did exactly as God commanded him and grew in confidence. Aaron did all the talking at first, but by the time Pharaoh was ready to let the Jews leave Egypt, Moses was the man in charge. He spoke fearlessly to Pharaoh toward the end; Moses seemed to be completely transformed. He was no longer the cowering man who tried to convince God to use someone else. His gifts had now been exposed and he was confident of his new abilities. Toward the end of the confrontation with Pharaoh, Moses was the man who was doing all the talking and all the miracle working. God was using Moses through the new gifts that he had given him:

Exodus 11:3…3 (Now the Lord had caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the people of Israel. And Moses was considered a very great man in the land of Egypt, respected by Pharaoh's officials and the Egyptian people alike.)……Moses had matured into the man that God knew he was all along and was now comfortable with his spiritual gifts. From this point on, it was Moses who did all the talking and leading. When it was time to tell the Jews about the Passover, Moses addressed them on his own. In fact, Aaron's role began to diminish as Moses grew in faith and in the confidence of his gifting. By the time that the Jews are allowed to leave Egypt, Moses was the singular voice of God.

Finally, when the Jews were chased to the edge of the Red Sea and complained to Moses that they were about to die, Moses responded in the confidence made possible by his new gifting:

Exodus 14:13-14…13 But Moses told the people, "Don't be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again.14 The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm."……Moses had been transformed. He probably knew he had some natural talents, but I bet he never imagined he would have the spiritual gifts necessary to do what he did.

That's the Difference…The world around us is becoming more and more secular. As a result, non-believers are quick to reject the idea that spiritual gifts exist at all. When I was a child, I was part of a program that existed for those students who were academically advanced in one way or another. It was called the "Gifted Program". Our classes were listed with a "G" following the title so that people would know that this particular class was more challenging than the ordinary course offerings. By the time that my own kids were in school, the title for this program had change. It was now called the "Academically Talented" Program. Classes were now labeled with "AT" following the title. Think about that shift for a minute, because it is an important one. It's not just a matter of political correctness; it's a fundamental shift toward naturalism. Our emerging culture is more and more inclined to deny the existence of God and as we shift in this direction, we should expect that people will see all personal abilities as simple natural talents that have resulted from genetics and environment (nature and nurture).

But as Christian, we ought to know the difference. We ought to know how talents and gifts work. We recognize that natural talents and predispositions are passed down to us and nurtured in our family. And we expect that we can improve our talents if we work hard and practice. But we also know that spiritual gifts come from a supernatural source; they surprise us. We find ourselves doing things that we never expected, or we find ourselves doing what we used to do with unexpected effectiveness. God is now with us, empowering us to do and be more than we ever thought we could do or be. We find ourselves engaged in His work instead of just our own, and our efforts are no longer all about us; they are all about Him. As Christians, we ought to know the difference between living as a 'natural man' and living as a 'spiritual man', and we ought to know the important difference between 'natural talent' and 'spiritual giftedness'.

To summarize the differences between spiritual gifts and talents: …1) A talent is the result of genetics and/or training, while a spiritual gift is the result of the power of the Holy Spirit. …2) A talent can be possessed by anyone, Christian or non-Christian, while spiritual gifts are only possessed by Christians. …3) While both talents and spiritual gifts should be used for God's glory and to minister to others, spiritual gifts are focused on these tasks, while talents can be used entirely for non-spiritual purposes.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TALENTS AND GIFTS