If you’re someone who does not yet recognize the strengths you possess, it’s vital you discover them. If you feel like God hasn’t given you any talents, that’s simply not true. Take some time with someone who knows and loves you, and ask them to describe what they see as your strengths and gifts. There are also many great resources to help you identify your talents, such as spiritual gift and personality tests. Just have no doubt: God has given you strengths that you’re responsible to cultivate. Here are 3 steps that will help make cultivating your strengths and talents manageable.

 1. Be faithful With Your Strengths

While faithfulness is not necessarily in vogue in our culture, it is crucial for your Life Palette and for masterpiece living. In a day and time when we are often convinced we’re entitled to what we have, we can easily miss the necessity of being faithful with all God has given us. Faithfulness is a value that’s never out of vogue in God’s kingdom and one He will always honor: “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?” (Luke 16:10-12)

2. Focus On Strengths Not Weaknesses

Most great Bible characters are known for having done one thing. Noah built the ark. David killed Goliath. Moses parted the Red Sea. People who are truly competent and successful, living their lives as the masterpiece God created them to be, have learned to focus on the few strengths God has given them. They have a limited palette that comes from having a narrow focus.

3. Be Diligent With Your Strengths

Don’t look for the quick and easy way when it comes to developing your strengths. Nothing is more sad than to arrive at an opportunity God has given you only to find yourself ill-equipped to use your strengths because you took shortcuts rather than using diligence.

Prayerfully ask God to help you to take these steps everyday of your life so that you can faithfully cultivate and develop the strengths and talents that He has given you and ultimately live as the masterpiece He created.

I love to walk through graveyards and read the headstones. Graveyards are sad places—not because of death, but because of the many buried there who never became the masterpiece God created them to be. Such treks remind me to be vigilant with the few things, the few gifts, the few talents, and the few strengths God has given me. Imagine your loved ones someday reading your epitaph. What do you want them to read about you? I’ve often thought about having my headstone made up in advance and put in my office. Every day I could look at it and remember what I want others to think about me when I die.

Next Steps: Which of these 3 will you make a top priority today?  Being Faithful? Having Focus? Being Diligent?  Pick one. Take a moment and write it down, along with it write the benefits that you see living this out in your life will bring. I would love to hear from you about your progress!