As we grow as believers, we all want to know the answer to the question, “What is the difference between spiritual gifts and talents?” We often wonder if we have any God-given talents, and if we have received any, were they wasted on us?
Opening our Bibles and perusing Paul’s letters can really provide insight into the spiritual gifts and talents that God provides. Let’s determine the difference between the two to help us understand what gifts and talents are and how to determine if we have them.
What Are Spiritual Gifts and Talents?
As a child, I had always heard from family members, “They are so talented; listen to that voice!” or “Look at this drawing, this is amazing!” or even, “Wow, that music is fabulous!” Everyday skills like cleaning, organizing, or decorating were not discussed as talents, per se; they were just things you did because you had to or wanted your home to look nice.
People often use the words gifted and talented interchangeably, but they are not the same when the word gifted refers to spiritual gifts. So, let’s discover the definitions of gifts(as they pertain to spiritual gifts) and talents so we can determine which God has for us.
Does Everyone Have Spiritual Gifts and Talents?
Does everyone have gifts or talents? This question has a two-fold answer: Yes and no! Yes, everyone has a spiritual gift if they are a child of God and a born-again believer(new Christian). No, people do not have spiritual gifts if they are not a Christ follower and a born-again believer. There’s absolutely no grey area here, Biblically. If you aren’t saved by faith, washed in the blood, and a Christian, you do not have spiritual gifts and cannot have them.
Talents, however, are a different story. Whereas spiritual gifts are given by the Holy Spirit, natural talents are innate and given by God upon your creation. Anyone can have natural talents, but not everyone does. Some people just like to try new things and develop skills.
Even though you may not have been blessed with any natural talents, I’m here to tell you that doesn’t mean you don’t have gifts (if you are a Christian). Once you become a born-again believer, you are given at least one spiritual gift. Gifts and talents are both blessings from God and abilities He chose to bless us with, but spiritual gifts, in my opinion, are the greatest of the two.
The best way to determine what special abilities or spiritual gifts God gave you is to learn the difference between natural talents and spiritual gifts.
Natural Talents
Talents, as defined by Merriam-Webster, are special abilities, often athletic, creative, or artistic aptitude. They are also defined as general intelligence or mental power. Talents are ours upon conception and thus make us unique. Anyone can have natural talents. Human talents are not just present in the believer. They can be anything from the ability to sing, dance, speak eloquently, artistic ability, do complex math, swing a hammer, or even dunk a ball. Many unbelievers can do all of these things very well.
Talents can be things we excel at naturally and don’t require a lot of teaching or training. We are naturally drawn to these abilities and are often quite gifted in these abilities. These talents can include music, art, design, speech, and intelligence among many others. These natural talents are also considered to be skills that can be learned. As with any skill, when practiced, the likelihood of you being a well-versed skill holder increases.
Natural talents are simply ingrained in us. We often don’t understand how we are capable of them or why we think the way we do until we become Christians. Once we accept Christ, we discover that God is where all things originate. He is our Creator and our Redeemer. We have innate abilities because of Him!
A Christian’s natural abilities often work in tandem with their spiritual gifts. It’s a blessing to have a God-given ability like creativity or musical ability, and when God blesses us with these, why would we not use them for the needs of others and the furtherance of the church?
My Thankfulness is Ever PresentWhen I was a child, I loved to redesign and redecorate my bedroom. There were never elaborate plans, just a pencil and paper and me drawing shapes for furniture. Designing and decorating were just natural gifts that God blessed me with. Since then I have begun to use my natural ability of creativity and design to serve in our church.
Spiritual Gifts
Spiritual gifting can be similar to natural talents, but they are quite different in the same respect. Spiritual gifts are not just gifts from God. They are bestowed upon God’s people by the Holy Spirit, given when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. The main use of spiritual gifts is to bring God glory. We are given spiritual gifts because we have been saved by grace by the sacrifice of His precious Son.
God supplies all that His church needs, even if it’s unlikely people for unlikely positions in His family of believers. I can completely attest to this. I’m not naturally drawn to serving people, especially if it means I’ll need to do dishes. But I love to serve on our kitchen committee! The love of God shows in our camaraderie and friendship. Only God could keep me from dreading doing dishes!
Do You Know Your Spiritual Gifts and Talents?
There are many different kinds of spiritual gifts for building up of the body of Christ. This list of gifts will not be an exhaustive list. However, it will help you understand what they are and maybe help you find what your gift could be. Just remember you can’t discover your spiritual gift by taking surveys, doing quizzes, or even asking your pastor to tell you although they may help you pinpoint what you’re good at.
What Are the Spiritual Gifts?
First Corinthians 12, along with Romans 12 and Ephesians 4, provide a great deal of insight into the spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit. In these books, the apostle Paul lays out three lists of gifts that we can use to give us direction as to what our gifts may be. You may find that you discovered your spiritual gift(s) easily or you may still be searching for yours after years of extensive prayer. Whatever the case may be going to the Lord in prayer, studying His Word, and working with the body of Christ are the only ways to reveal your gift.
Do you have the gift of teaching? Maybe you are a talented leader or have the spiritual gift of administration. Whether you have the spiritual gift of encouragement or have spiritual wisdom God gave these gifts to you for service in His church.
Lists Of Gifts
*The following are three lists of Spiritual Gifts found in the Bible given by manifestation of the spirit.
List 1 (Romans 12:6-8)
- Prophecy
- Service
- Teaching
- Exhortation
- Giving
- Leading
- Showing mercy
List 2 (I Corinthians 12:8-11)
- Message of wisdom
- Message of knowledge
- Faith
- Gifts of healing
- Performing of miracles
- Prophecy
- Distinguishing between spirits
- Different kinds of tongues
- Interpretation of tongues
List 3 (Ephesians 4:10-12)
- Apostles
- Prophets
- Evangelists
- Pastors
- Teachers
What Do These Gifts Mean?
These extraordinary God-given abilities are for God’s glory and encourage spiritual growth in the lives of believers, and some are meant to be used in daily life. To be faithful stewards of God and the Spirit’s gifts, we need to understand the proper working of each individual part. When we use our supernatural spiritual gifts for the equipping of the saints and not our own selfish interests, the growth of the body occurs.
To understand these gifts and how they help the whole body function better, we need to study the definitions of the various forms of spiritual gifts. God’s Spirit has a specific reason for giving the spiritual gifts and talents He does. We may never know His reasoning, but we can learn about the gifts themselves by defining them.
Glossary Of Terms
Prophecy – Messages for Israel from a direct prompting of the Holy Spirit calling them to honor God.
Service – Work done for other people or for God and the worship of God.
Teaching – Instruction of men and women in Christian faith and discipleship.
Exhortation – Argument or advice intended to incite hearers to action.
Giving – Favor or item bestowed on someone.
Leading – Leading and overseeing, particularly in the church
Showing mercy – A person’s consideration of the condition and needs of his fellow man.
Message of wisdom – Understanding and speaking biblical truth specifically applied to particular life situations.
Message of knowledge – Understanding the deep things of God
Faith – Trust in the unseen God.
Gifts of healing – Supernatural deliverance from disease/infirmity
Performing miracles – Events that undeniably involve an immediate and powerful action of God designed to reveal His character or purposes.
Distinguishing between spirits – Distinguishing between truth and falsehood
Different kinds of tongues – Speaking in foreign languages
Interpretation of tongues – Interpreting the languages spoken in tongues
Apostles – Those whom Jesus tasked with the commission(after the resurrection) of carrying His message to the world.
Prophets – Human instrument used to deliver the declaration of a word from the Lord through the Holy Spirit.
Evangelists – Powerfully proclaiming the good news of the gospel
Pastors – A shepherd, those called by God to feed, care for, and lead His people, who are His flock.
Teachers – Those who instruct men and women in Christian faith and discipleship.
Verses For Further Reference
- I Peter 4:10-11
- Colossians 3:23-24
- Ephesians 4:12
- Romans 12:6-8
- Romans 12:11
- Exodus 28:2-4
- James 1:17
- I Corinthians 4:7
- Exodus 36:1-2
- Psalm 139:14
- James 4:6
- Exodus 35:30-35
- I Corinthians 12:18-19
- Hebrews 10:24
- I Chronicles 22:15-16
- Exodus 35:10
- Hebrews 3:13
- II Chronicle 2:13
- Proverbs 22:29
- Romans 12:4-5
- Genesis 25:27
- I Corinthians 12:7-11
- I Corinthians 12:12
- Matthew 25:14-21
- Isaiah 40:19-20
- I Corinthians 12:27
- I Timothy 4:14
- Psalm 33:3-4
- Ephesians 4:16
- I Corinthians 7:7
Now that I’m older (hopefully wiser), I can see more clearly the point Christ Jesus was trying to make to the disciples when he told them the “Parable of the Talents.” Sure, the item Jesus speaks of is money, but it’s about so much more than money. He was referring to using what you are blessed with, referring to our spiritual gifts and talents to further the Master’s kingdom. Are you ready to use your natural talents alongside the spiritual gifts He bestowed on you as a believer? Are you ready to use these spiritual gifts and talents for the glory of God?
