Use Your Talent(s) For God

 Thursday 27th January 2022

What's up?

I'll be honest, I wasn't planning on posting today. 

I mean I had a topic in mind as always, and I even have a topic for the next time I post on this page (which I'm not going to reveal right now hehehe) but God wanted me to post today and who am I to disobey him?

It's been exactly 15 days since I've posted on this page last so that's probably why God wants me to post. I don't mind posting today, even if my next one wasn't really planned until February.

As you can see, today's topic is called:

Use Your Talent(s) For God

There's a specific reason as to why I have decided to choose this topic today.

Except from it being God inspired like every other topic, I feel like this one is also coming personally from the Heart.

All my posts are from the Heart, but I have a feeling I can relate to this one the most. And I hope you guys are blessed as I speak to y'all today amen.

This post might be a little bit different in the sense that I'm going to be talking quite a lot about myself, which isn't something I really do on here, or like doing much in real life.

So if you don't know really who I am, or if you do but not fully, I suppose in this post you get to find out more about me. 

So why have I decided to choose this topic?

♫ In fact

Me I don’t know where to start
Me I no fit solve the maths
E dey blow my mind dey go o ♫

(Nosa - Why You Love Me)

I'll start from here. Have you guys ever really thought about why I have decided to start this website?

Yes, it was an instruction from God. 

But God wouldn't have just told me to start it for no reason, or if I wasn't capable of handling or doing it. In 1 Corinthians 10:13, God says that he will never give us more than what we can handle. He knew I could handle it.

God wanted me to start it because he wanted me to bless you guys reading. Also he knows I have a talent / hobby in writing. 

So I am using my talent to tell you guys to use your talent. A chain of events 😁

Let's begin!

What is a talent?

A talent is something you are good at, although it should be differentiated from a hobby because a hobby and a talent are two different things. I mentioned this on here last year, so let me just quickly copy and paste what I said. 

It's in a different colour so you know I got it from somewhere else.

//

Making a nursery is my purpose in life. You ultimately need to discover what yours is.

But let me tell you something.

Just because you are good at something does not mean that you have to pursue it as a career. Likewise, there is a difference between a talent and a hobby.

Let me use myself as an example.

Playing the keyboard is most definitely one of my talents. Maybe my only one for now, along with looking after babies, if you could count that as a talent anyway.

Would I ever consider a piano career though?

Probably not. Because I'm very introverted, depending on who I'm with, I only really play the piano at home. Never in public - maybe because I'm afraid of screwing up.

Plus A Level Music was apparently not what I thought it was when I said I wanted to do it. So I heard that it's not really about music. More so the history of music.

I love music but not history.

Drawing, dancing and writing stories / updating this website - those are all my hobbies. I guess I'm talented at them, minus dancing although I see them more as hobbies. 

And that brings me to the difference between a talent and a hobby.

The difference between hobby and talent - from this website

Never referred to a link as this website before but there's a first time for everything!

A “hobby” is an activity that one enjoys doing in one’s spare time and “talent” is a marked natural ability or skill. 

Some things can be both, don't get me wrong. They're not mutually exclusive events.

 For example, my piano talent I was talking about.

Just because something is for someone else doesn't mean it's for you. ie like I've been saying all this time. I could never be an actress, but someone else, maybe someone more extroverted and is more comfortable being on TV can.

The same thing can be reversed too - someone out there could hate looking after babies, probably because they may cry too much or because it's too much work but like I said, I love them.

That's why you shouldn't compare yourself to others. Everyone's journey is different.

Also, just because you're moving slower than your friends doesn't mean that you're failing. Besides, slow progress is still progress, even if it doesn't seem that way.

From my post This Is Your Life

//

The post I just referenced was about finding your purpose in life. Talents and hobbies came up by coincidence and I'm glad it did otherwise I wouldn't have been able to copy and paste.

No one is good at everything, but everyone is good at something.

Proverbs 22:29 says Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank.

I used that verse there and I'm using it here.

So I just told you guys what I'm good at. Now let me tell you what I'm not so good at instead. 

But inevitably, as this post is about talents, I will be taking more about my strengths than my weaknesses, as I want (to hopefully encourage) you guys to use your strengths for the Lord. 

I even wanted to do Creative Writing at Nottingham as a replacement for Computer Science, until I found out that it has aspects of drama in it. I can't act to save my life.

What I'm not good at, I don't really mind not being good at as I may not even like it in the first place.

So I'm not good at science. Then again, I guess I don't really like it, especially Biology.

I'm not against those who like Biology. It's just not for me. Biology made me very unhappy.

I'm not good at Geography, History and Maths etc ... long story short, my strengths lie in a majority of the creative subjects. 

I can't say that I am good at all the creative subjects because I am not and I don't want to be. My destiny for my life might not even include all of my talents anyway. But it's certainly down that road.

What I'm good at, someone else might not be good at. Whereas what someone else is good at, I might not be good at. Either way, you should use your talents for God and for the greater good.

As Miklez would say:

Souls are perishing, do the work!

I used to think that what I was good at or liked doing wasn't of anything beneficial to me because I didn't really use it in my daily life. I mostly thought this at secondary school.

I didn't really use the piano for anything, and back then I didn't really use my writing hobby either. I wasn't good at dancing back then either. I didn't even dance in general.

Colossians 3:23-24 says 23 Work at everything you do with all your heart. Work as if you were working for the Lord, not for human masters. 24 Work because you know that you will finally receive as a reward what the Lord wants you to have. You are slaves of the Lord Christ.

Please be aware that when it says slaves, it just simply means that we work for God. God's work will never go unnoticed. You can even ask God to bring what you've done for him to remembrance.

You can find this in Isaiah 43:26

Review the past for me, let us argue the matter together; state the case for your innocence.

This is God talking to you. God wants you to bring to remembrance what you have done for him. I mean, he already remembers, but it's simultaneously a way of you communicating to him. 

God wants to hear from you as much as he can - we just don't always do that.

I originally typed that God wants to hear from you 24/7, and whilst he does, I'm also aware that it might not always be possible for you to speak to God. 

Actually - now that I think about it, I don't think that there is any situation in life where you can't speak to God. Nevertheless, he does still want to hear from you as much as he can.

If anything, you speaking to God will definitely make things better.

It took me ages to find that verse. I was kind of panicking because I really wanted to use it. It's like one of those verse where you partially know what it says but you forget where it is from.

I said partially because I thought I knew what the verse said but I didn't really. Changing a couple of words of a verse you're trying to remember really makes a difference on the results you get.

Inevitably, I wouldn't be telling you guys to use your talent(s) for God if I haven't been doing so myself, and I have.

If you are blessed like me, you could have more than one talent or hobby.

When I was in Nottingham, I used to be an instrumentalist because of my piano talent. I also remember playing the piano in church coincidentally in front of everyone. It was a coincidence because I didn't intend for it to happen.

I actually didn't expect that to happen. I was so scared. I don't like playing in front of a lot of people. It was Sunday October 4th 2020.

However I guess I did like the experience.

I played Grade 9 Maple Leaf Rag which I don't remember much of anymore. If you're curious as to what it sounds like, I linked it here:

I don't use that talent much, but I genuinely did play the song. I would show evidence but like I said, I don't remember the whole song anymore. There are gaps in my knowledge. 

I'm definitely not Grade 9 piano. I'm self taught. I just learn what I want to learn.

I am now in Essex, where I am a Dancing Star, and occasionally Pulpit Star too. I was inspired by the Dancing Stars and I thought if they can do something for God, so can I.

Am I the best dancer there? Of course not.

Does it matter? No it doesn't.

I would never compare myself to any of the other dancers in Dancing Stars because I know that a majority of them have had years more experience than me. Even if we have all been dancing for the same amount of time - I still wouldn't compare because everyone dances differently.

As long as you put in energy and work hard for God, no one will know that you're not the best dancer there - or how much dance experience you've had.

I love dancing. It doesn't matter if you are the best at something, all you have to do is try your best.

If you know me, sometimes on Whatsapp I do post videos of me dancing (very rarely though), sometimes more than I do with Dancing Stars. 

WhatsApp is more or less the only social media I have that I use. I have another one where you write stories but that one is private and personal. I had Instagram and Snapchat but I deleted them both. 

I have decided to upload my favourite dance that I have uploaded on Whatsapp before below. I'll explain why it's my favourite later.

This was my favourite dance for a number of reasons:

1. My favourite Gospel song

2. First and only time I have used a prop. That notebook thing had to be done flawlessly. It was a lot harder than it looked, more so when I actually wanted to open it.

3. I like my braids 😍 which I didn't want at first but it really grew on me.

With these videos, I normally speed them up and make up the choreography myself. If I don't speed them up, they'd be too long and too slow. But when I dance with Dancing or Pulpit Stars, it's always normal speed.

I don't always dance to Gospel music, sometimes non Gospel music, inevitably careful of lyrics. 

I generally mix  it up.

I'm grateful because before I joined Dancing Stars, I would have never done something like that. 

I would have never really uploaded a video of me dancing. But due to me using my dancing hobby for God, I guess it soon turned into a talent.

When you use a hobby for God, goodness knows - it could turn into a talent.

I have another hobby which I don't really talk about or use. It's not a talent though - what I can do with the hobby is very limited.

I can draw. I drew this the other day.

I didn't say I could draw accurately. I just said I can draw 😅

I prefer piano / dancing to drawing so I'm not really fussed about not being too talented in this hobby. 

I can only draw with pen and pencil anyway. Anything else, not really. Also I can never really draw accurately. So I'm very limited.

I'd say I'm semi-talented at art.

That's enough about me, like I said I don't really like talking about myself unless I don't really have a choice.

Here are some scriptures on using your talents for God.

1 Peter 4:10-11

10 God’s gifts of grace come in many forms. Each of you has received a gift in order to serve others. You should use it faithfully. 

11 If anyone speaks, they should do it as one speaking God’s words. If anyone serves, they should do it with the strength God provides. Then in all things God will be praised through Jesus Christ. Glory and power belong to him for ever and ever. Amen.

Romans 12:6 

We all have gifts. They differ according to the grace God has given to each of us. Do you have the gift of prophecy? Then use it according to the faith you have.

Now you may feel as though you don't have a talent, or you can't really use it for the Lord because it "isn't big enough".

I mentioned this in the testimony I intermittently talk about on here. The one I did at church.

However, since it's kinda long for me to crop it and upload it here, I will just summarise what I said.

There's no gift or talent that is too small for the Lord. Don't think that there is.

Even if your gift isn't like dancing or singing or being an instrumentalist,  if you can do something like media then that's still something big for the Lord.

Besides, when using your talent for God, you don't necessarily have to be good at it straight away. You can always learn. 

For example, I'm learning to do media despite the fact that I'm in Dancing Stars.

If you want to join choir for instance but you can't sing to save your life (like me) - you can always learn!

I'm not too fazed about not being able to sing as I do prefer dancing. That said, I do love and respect people that can sing well, especially for God. And I'm obviously not against anyone that can sing. 

I think Gospel singers are wonderful.

 When I first joined Dancing Stars, I didn't really have any serious dancing experience.

And do you want to know what one of my favourite things about the Lord is?

It's the fact that he doesn't take back his gifts, which you can find in Romans 29:11.

God doesn't take back his gifts, but he can deal with the person that he gave the gift to. Assuming that they're using it incorrectly.

Matthew 6:5 And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

Not just praying, anything in general. Including using your talents for the Lord.

Don't just use it for the Lord to impress others. Do it to serve and inspire others.

That's not what the scripture says, however my pastor from my home church did say that one day and I was just quoting them.

Everyone has a talent, even if you don't necessarily think that you do. You most likely haven't discovered it yet, and that's okay.

There's this quote I know that says there are two great days of your life: when you are born and when you discover why.

So for me, I'm born July 9th 2002, and my purpose in life is to serve God and to own an international nursery! 

Not be part of or work in, own! And I know with God, that will happen!

I didn't know what I wanted to do in the future for a long time, and it took me changing courses and universities to figure it out.

As I close today, I realise that I mentioned Romans 12 earlier. Here is what I wanted to say from there:

3 God’s grace has been given to me. So here is what I say to every one of you. Don’t think of yourself more highly than you should. Be reasonable when you think about yourself. Keep in mind the faith God has given to each of you. 

4 Each of us has one body with many parts. And the parts do not all have the same purpose. 5 So also we are many persons. But in Christ we are one body. And each part of the body belongs to all the other parts. 

6 We all have gifts. They differ according to the grace God has given to each of us. Do you have the gift of prophecy? Then use it according to the faith you have. 

7 If your gift is serving, then serve. If it is teaching, then teach. 

8 Is it encouraging others? Then encourage them. Is it giving to others? Then give freely. Is it being a leader? Then work hard at it. Is it showing mercy? Then do it cheerfully.

Encouraging others can also be a gift. 

So if you don't do this already, always use your gifts to serve the Lord, and if you already do that, keep doing it for the rest of your life or until you are old and can no longer do it anymore.

I certainly will.

That's a wrap for today - and because I am an extremely nice person, I have decided to give y'all a heads up about the next post on this page. Post of Encouragement and Underrated Bible Scriptures are on separate pages.

The next post in February will be all about how inner beauty is more important than outer. I have decided to do this because we live in a  society that places looks above personality.

And whilst I don't blame them as you can't fully see personality but you can with looks, I'm also not taking sides either. Either way, the Bible focuses on what's inside, not outside. 

But I'll go in more depth about it all in due time.

So I hope you were blessed today and I also hope that you learnt more about me! :)

Normally I'd use a GIF to say goodbye, but here is a picture of yours truly.

I took it on Christmas Eve. See you angels next time!

Lola xxx