Life becomes much more enriching when you discover your gifts and talents.
Romans 12:6- 8 says, “6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”
People are most effective when they are doing what God calls them to do. People are most motivated when they are releasing the dynamic force of the gifts and calling that God has placed in them. Everyone should experience the life of God and exercise the gifts that God has given. Ideally every person will operate in his or her own unique gifts and talents. Many people live life with anxiety because they don’t know what they were created by God to do.
I was reminded of the importance of discovering your gifts and calling while watching the movie “Secretariat” with my boys last week. Secretariat was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, that in 1973 became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in twenty-five years, setting new race records in two of the three events in the Series—the Kentucky Derby (1:59 2/5), and the Belmont Stakes (2:24)—records that still stand today.
Owned by Penny Chenery (aka Penny Tweedy), he was trained by Lucien Laurin and mainly ridden by fellow Canadian jockey Ron Turcotte. The movie chronicled Secretariat’s birth and amazing pursuit to win the Triple Crown 1973. It also showed the struggles of Penny trying to maintain a family life, save her father’s farm and her future inheritance, and make tough decisions while managing an elite thoroughbred horse.
Before the Belmont Stakes, Penny and Lucien were trying to decide how to train Secretariat for the race. It was thought at the time that a horse could not possess both speed and endurance to win the U.S. Triple Crown. So, they were wondering if they should run Secretariat hard or rest him before the Belmont Stakes, the longest of all the races in the Triple Crown. They decided to train him hard concluding that the horse had a special gift and was born to run.
My favorite part in the movie was during the initial stage of the Belmont Stakes race as Secretariat was running neck and neck with his top competitor. If Secretariat finished anything but first, all would be lost for Penny. As the scenes switched back and forth from the racing track to the stands where Penny, Lucien and her family were standing together, you could feel the nervous tension of how important it was for Secretariat to win the Belmont Stakes.
All of a sudden, Secretariat began to break away from his competitor, as the crowd stood stunned at the speed and endurance of this horse. During his surge to the finish line in record fashion, Penny broke free of all her anxiety and yelled at the top of her voice to Ron, Secretariat’s rider. She screamed: “Let him run Ronnie, let him run.”
Penny knew Secretariat was a gift from God, and created by Him to run fast. She made a decision to let the horse do what he was destined to do. The rest is history, and a great American story.
1 Peter 4:10 says: “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” When we discover the gifts God has given us, and use them to serve others, we actually get to participate with God in administering His grace to people. That is a pretty cool thought, and makes life very fulfilling because we are able to help others.
Just like Secretariat, when we get in our right lane, and discover what we were created by God to do, we can do amazing things in life. What do you do when you know how to use your gifts and calling? You serve people, administer the grace of God, and live a fulfilling life of purpose.
What do you do when you realize you have the fastest horse in the race?
You “let him run Ronnie, let him run!”
