All of us have unused abilities. Here are three ways to start cultivating abilities so you use them for good and God’s glory.

Do an assessment of your life, an audit of your abilities. Make a list. What are you good at? Know your weaknesses. Consider the capabilities God has given you.

Commit them to God for the use he intended. Romans 12:1 says, “Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him” (GNT). Pray this prayer, “God, you gave me these abilities. Now I’m going to give them back to you. I want to use them for the purpose for which you intended.”

That means to practice, improve, sharpen, and develop. Any ability that God has given you can be increased with practice. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 10:10, “If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success” (NIV).

How do you gain skill? Practice. God says a dull ax takes more energy; you need to sharpen your ax. In other words, work smarter, not harder. Sharpening your abilities—your aptitudes and skills—is a spiritual responsibility.

God has invested enormously in you. First, God created you; and he shaped you with spiritual gifts and personality. He then sent his son Jesus to die for you. God has made a great investment in your life! And he expects a return on the investment. He’s going to ask you one day, “What did you do with what I gave you? How did you use your abilities to honor me, serve others, make a living, and be an example? How did you use them to help other people?”

In Luke 12:43, Jesus said, “When the master comes and finds the servant doing his work, the servant will be blessed” (NCV). That’s the kind of blessing we desire. 

God wants you to use your abilities in the ways he intended. He wants you to experience his blessing.