"God calls us to use whatever talents He's provided in order to expand His kingdom. If you'll use the abilities that He's given you for His glory, He promises to give you even more. He will develop the skills you have so that your talents will continue to improve. I've seen this demonstrated many times in my life when I found myself doing something I never would have dreamed of doing. Often, when I looked back on the experience I knew it was totally a God thing. When I moved into my new home I loved spending time doing some new things--learning how to make curtains, cooking meals, biking, and gardening. God is so good in providing opportunities for us to explore new hobbies and pursuits. We can view all of these interests as ways in which we can glorify Him.

I do not feel worthy of being entrusted with most of the opportunities God has given me. I ask Him, "God, do you really trust me with that?" There are so many better singers and speakers and writers. When I started in ministry at such a young age I had a lot of insecurities, and they still creep up now and again. As a member of the presidential prayer team, I had the privilege of being the spokesperson for the National Day of Prayer. I never would have dreamed that I'd get to sing at the White House! I have gotten to travel to numerous countries located on five different continents, and seen some of the most beautiful sights in the world. My ministry is really just an example of the weak things of the world confounding the wise.

God has entrusted us with carrying His good news to others through a variety of means. He wants us to creatively use the talents He has blessed us with in order to share the story of His Son Jesus to all who will listen. The message is always the same, but the means of delivery might differ from person to person, depending on the unique giftings God has placed within us. Being trusted with this task is both exciting and scary. But, it is absolutely rewarding.

There's an old saying that is appropriate for today: "Use it or lose it." That was certainly true in Jesus' parable of the talents recorded in Matthew 25. In one of His last parables before His death on the cross, Jesus told about a man going on a journey who entrusted his property to three servants. He gave a certain amount of money to each of his servants, each according to his ability. When the master returned from his trip he was pleased that the first two servants had each doubled the amount given to them by making wise investments. But when he discovered that out of fear the last servant hid the money--not wanting to lose it--the master was furious, and he responded:

"That's a terrible way to live! It's criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest" (Matthew 25:26, 27, The Message).

The servant's fear of losing the talent was the very thing that caused him to lose it. The master took the talent away from the lazy servant and gave it to the servant who had gained the most return on investment, then threw the worthless servant outside into the darkness. The point of the parable is this: We must ready ourselves for the return of our Master, Jesus, by taking what He's entrusted us with and producing results, rather than simply coasting along and playing it safe.

When others talk about your talents, what do they speak about? Are you using those skills to accomplish God's purposes or to further your own agenda? How have you felt God tugging at your heart to use a particular talent to spread His good news? Surrender your talents and abilities to God today by asking Him to take your efforts and accomplish more than you ever would have dreamed of."
~Rebecca

BRAND NEW MUSIC ON THE MYSPACE PLAYER
New music this week on Rebecca's MySpace Player -check out "Wish (Shoulda Coulda)" -- a brand new song from Rebecca! Also, keep up with Rebecca every day--as 4,300 followers are already doing! Join her on Twitter!

For more info on Rebecca St. James, visit the JFH Artists Database.