I recently saw the movie Woodlawn. It is the true story about Tony Nathan, a gifted high school football player who uses his God-given gift and his faith to ease racial tensions in early 1970s Birmingham, AL. The movie was the best I have seen all this year. Hands down. You should make your way to the theater to check it out. This movie inspired today’s blog post. All I can say is that “gifts are given” and it is up to us to make good use of what God has given to us. Despite the obstacles. Until something happens.
Gifts and Talents
Tony Nathan realized his gift during his high school years. He was a superstar on the field. He had the natural ability to run the ball and make touchdowns. His physical ability was his talent. Your talent is what comes natural to you and with little effort. Talents are more obvious when they are athletic, artistic, or creative in nature. We often overlook other talents. These include talents that are mental and social in nature. Mental talents show intelligence and social talents show the ability to motivate people. Your talents may not be seen by others, may not ever be profitable for you, or may not be fully developed. Whatever your talent is, you were born with it. Therefore, it’s already inside of you waiting to be used in a profound way.
While our talents are inside of us from birth, our gifts are given to us. Gifts are special and should be used to serve those that need what we have. In the movie, Tony Nathan used his football talent to bring people together. The people wanted to know how he was so great and how the team was able to work together despite racial tension. Along with his team, he was able to use his talent for his gift (or purpose). His gift was to be so great that he was given the platform to change lives for the sake of God.
It’s up to you
What’s your talent? Do you have a gift? If you know your purpose in life, then remove everything that may hinder you from being purpose driven. If you want to make your purpose profitable, then continue to learn about business. Keep your heart open so that you know when you are serving your gift.
On this Sunday, I am reminded that my talent has been shown to me throughout my entire life. I had to remove procrastination, fear, perfectionism, mediocracy, and excuses in order to move forward. It was up to me to move forward in my life. It’s also up to you to move forward in your life. Like Tony Nathan and other athletes, they choose to train for the position and play to win. You must do the same. You must develop your talent.
Gifts are given to those that accept the challenge. I challenge you to do all you can to use your talents and share your gift with the world. The world is waiting for you.
