Bible Verses About Talents

What does the Bible say about talents?

Our awesome God created everyone with unique abilities and talents to help serve our brothers and sisters in Christ. Sometimes we’re not even aware of the talents that we’re given by God until we run into different struggles in life.

Give God thanks for all He has given you. Your talent can be your special personality, your ability to give kind words, musical ability, determination in life, giving, preaching, wisdom, compassion, teaching skills, charisma, communication skills, or anything you’re good at.

Be wise and put them into use to help others. We are all part of the body of Christ. Stop letting God’s gifts to you catch dust.

Use it or lose it! He gave them to you for a reason. How are you using your talents to glorify God?

Christian quotes about talents

“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me’.” Erma Bombeck

“How could we enjoy heaven if during our lifetime we had used most of our time, treasure, and talents for ourselves and our select group?” Daniel Fuller

“If you have money, power, and status today, it is due to the century and place in which you were born, to your talents and capacities and health, none of which you earned. In short, all your resources are in the end the gift of God.” Tim Keller

“The greatest and best talent that God gives to any man or woman in this world is the talent of prayer.” Alexander Whyte

“If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.” Thomas A. Edison

“The saddest thing in life is wasted talent.”

“Your talent is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.” Leo Buscaglia

“The greatest and best talent that God gives to any man or woman in this world is the talent of prayer.” Alexander Whyte

“More men fail through lack of purpose than lack of talent.” Billy Sunday

“So many times we say that we can’t serve God because we aren’t whatever is needed. We’re not talented enough or smart enough or whatever. But if you are in covenant with Jesus Christ, He is responsible for covering your weaknesses, for being your strength. He will give you His abilities for your disabilities!” Kay Arthur

“Godliness is no optional spiritual luxury for a few quaint Christians of a bygone era or for some group of super-saints of today. It is both the privilege and duty of every Christian to pursue godliness, to train himself to be godly, to study diligently the practice of godliness. We don’t need any special talent or equipment. God has given to each one of us “everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). The most ordinary Christian has all that he needs, and the most talented Christian must use those same means in the practice of godliness.” Jerry Bridges

“Are you glorying in your graces or your talents? Are you proud of yourself, that you have had holy postures and sweet experiences?… Your flaunting poppies of self-conceit will be pulled up by the roots, your mushroom graces will wither in the burning heat, and your self-sufficiency shall become as straw for the manure pile. If we forget to live at the foot of the cross in deepest lowliness of spirit, God won’t forget to make us feel the pain of His rod.” C. H. Spurgeon

We all have God-given talents

1. 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.”

2. Romans 12:6-8 “In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.”

3. 1 Peter 4:10-11 “Each of you has received a gift to use to serve others. Be good servants of God’s various gifts of grace. Anyone who speaks should speak words from God. Anyone who serves should serve with the strength God gives so that in everything God will be praised through Jesus Christ. Power and glory belong to him forever and ever. Amen.”

4. Exodus 35:10 “Let every skillful craftsman among you come and make all that the LORD has commanded.”

5. Proverbs 22:29 “Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before obscure men.”

6. Isaiah 40:19-20 ” As for the idol, a craftsman casts it, A goldsmith plates it with gold, And a silversmith fashions chains of silver. He who is too impoverished for such an offering Selects a tree that does not rot; He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman To prepare an idol that will not totter.

7. Psalm 33:3-4 “Sing a new song of praise to him; play skillfully on the harp, and sing with joy. 4 For the word of the LORD holds true, and we can trust everything he does.”

Using your talents for God

Serve the Lord with your talents and use them for His glory.

8. Colossians 3:23-24 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”

9. Romans 12:11 “Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.”

Be careful and remain humble with your talents

10. 1 Corinthians 4:7 “Who says you are better than others? What do you have that was not given to you? And if it was given to you, why do you brag as if you did not receive it as a gift?”

11. James 4:6 “But God gives us even more grace, as the Scripture says, “God is against the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.”

Put your talents into action

12. Hebrews 10:24 “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.”

13. Hebrews 3:13 “Instead, continue to encourage one another every day, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

Help the body of Christ with your gifts and talents

14. Romans 12:4-5 “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.”

15.  1 Corinthians 12:12 “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.”

16. 1 Corinthians 12:27 “All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.”

17. Ephesians 4:16 “From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”

18. Ephesians 4:12 “Christ gave these gifts to prepare God’s holy people for the work of serving, to make the body of Christ stronger.”

Examples of talents in the Bible

19. Exodus 28:2-4 “Make sacred garments for Aaron that are glorious and beautiful. Instruct all the skilled craftsmen whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom. Have them make garments for Aaron that will distinguish him as a priest set apart for my service. These are the garments they are to make: a chestpiece, an ephod, a robe, a patterned tunic, a turban, and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother, Aaron, and his sons to wear when they serve me as priests.”

20. Exodus 36:1-2  “The Lord has gifted Bezalel, Oholiab, and the other skilled craftsmen with wisdom and ability to perform any task involved in building the sanctuary. Let them construct and furnish the Tabernacle, just as the Lord has commanded.” So Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and all the others who were specially gifted by the Lord and were eager to get to work.”

21. Exodus 35:30-35 “Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 31 and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— 32 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 33 to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts. 34 And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. 35 He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers.”

22. Exodus 35:25 “All the skilled and talented women spun thread with their hands, and brought what they had spun, blue and purple and scarlet fabric and fine linen.”

23. 1 Chronicles 22:15-16 “You have many workers: stonecutters, masons and carpenters, as well as those skilled in every kind of work in gold and silver, bronze and iron—craftsmen beyond number. Now begin the work, and the LORD be with you.”

24. 2 Chronicles 2:13 “Now I am sending a skilled man, endowed with understanding, Huram-abi.”

25. Genesis 25:27 “The boys grew up. Esau became a skilled hunter, who loved to be out in the fields. But Jacob was a quiet man, who stayed at home.”

Bonus

Matthew 25:14-21 “Similarly, it is like a man going on a trip, who called his servants and turned his money over to them. To one man he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, based on their ability. Then he went on his trip. “The one who received five talents went out at once and invested them and earned five more. In the same way, the one who had two talents earned two more. But the one who received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and buried his master’s money. “After a long time, the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came up and brought five more talents. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you gave me five talents. See, I’ve earned five more talents.’ “His master told him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy servant! Since you’ve been trustworthy with a small amount, I’ll put you in charge of a large amount. Come and share your master’s joy!”