How to Grow What God Has Placed in Your Hands

What have you been doing with the gifts God placed in your hands? Not the one you wish you had. Not the one someone else has. The one you already carry — the skill, the talent, the creative ability that's been there all along. Maybe you've been ignoring it. Maybe you've been comparing it to someone else's. Maybe you've been waiting for the "right time" to finally do something with it. You see, God doesn't give us gifts to admire. He gives us gifts to steward.

Now, the question is not whether you have a gift (s). Because you actually do. The question is what you're doing with it. In the Bible, we see the parable of the talents. Where Jesus told a story about a man who gave his servants talents before going on a journey. One received five, another two, and another one. The first two went to work and doubled what they were given. But the third buried his talent in the ground out of fear.

When the master returned, he praised the first two: "Well done, good and faithful servant." But the third servant was rebuked — not because he did something evil, but because he did nothing with what he was given (Matthew 25:14–30). One of the key lessons here is that the danger isn't just in misusing your gift. It's in neglecting it. The third servant wasn't punished for being wicked. He was punished for being passive. He let fear keep him from stepping out. And in doing so, he missed the reward that came with faithfulness.

Maybe you've been that servant. Maybe fear has kept you from using what God has placed in your hands. This is your wake-up call. In 1 Timothy 4:14, Paul told Timothy, "Neglect not the gift that is in thee". And Peter also said in 1 Peter 4:10, that our gifts are meant to serve others: "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God". Your gift was not given to you for you. It was given to you so you could bless others, serve your generation, and glorify God.

Think about it. When you use your gift to design something beautiful, you bring joy to someone. When you write something that speaks to the heart, you encourage someone. When you build a product that solves a problem, you serve someone. Your gift is not about you. It is about what God wants to do through you. So if you've been sitting on your gift and inspired creative ideas, waiting for the "right time," waiting until you're "ready," waiting until someone gives you permission, this is your moment.

Stewarding your gift means more than just having it. It means growing it.

Here are three simple steps:

Your gift grows when you use it. Not when you hide it. Not when you wait. But when you step out and start building, creating, and serving. It doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't have to be big. It just has to be used. Every time you use your gift, even in small ways, you get better. You learn. You grow. Don't wait for the perfect conditions. Start where you are with what you have.

Proverbs 27:17 says iron sharpens iron. You were not meant to grow alone. Find mentors, peers, and communities that will help you grow. Take courses. Ask questions. Learn from people who have walked the road before you. Stay humble enough to receive feedback and disciplined enough to keep learning. Your gift will only grow as much as you invest in it.

Every gift must be surrendered to God.

Ask God: "How do You want me to use this?" Let the Holy-Spirit direct the use of your gifts and creativity. When you surrender it to Him, He multiplies it in ways you couldn't do on your own. The same gift, in your hands, can do something small. But in God's hands, it can change lives, feed nations, and impact generations. Surrender it to Him and watch what He does with it.

The question is not whether you have gifts and creative abilities. You do. The question is what you're doing with it. Are you burying it? Are you hiding it? Are you waiting? Or are you using it, sharpening it, and surrendering it to God? Brethren, your gifts has a purpose. It has a Kingdom assignment. It has people attached to it. There are people in this world who needs what God has placed in your hands. But it will only fulfill that purpose when you steward it. So don't neglect it. Don't hide it. Don't bury it. Use it. Grow it. Surrender it. And watch what God does through you.