Yesterday, my five-year-old grandson was working on his school work at home. He had one last assignment to complete—cutting out figures with his scissors. He loves doing this, although in his enthusiasm he doesn’t always stay on the line. 

Still, having a task he likes frees my daughter to do other things while he works. She went to get dinner started while he was studiously cutting the papers assigned by his teacher. 

When she went to check his progress a few minutes later, my grandson has his bangs between his fingers and snips of hair scattered across his homework paper. He’d gotten distracted from his homework by the lure of using this tool in a way he wasn’t meant to. 

What could be wrong with this? His mom takes him to get his hair cut and that person uses scissors on his hair. Why can’t he?

I’m sure every parent here understands this frustration and many of us have faced this as we raised children. The hair cutting episodes usually precede some important event and our child looks lopsided for a while. Thankfully, hair does grow out.

How many times do we, as adults, receive tools or gifts from God, and in our enthusiasm to see how they work, use them the wrong way? Or, we see someone else using the same gift and decide that must be what God wants us to do without ever asking Him for guidance. 

When we do this, we end up with lopsided results and blows to our faith that can be damaging for us and for those around us. God gives each of us a gift or talent and a specific way to use that gift.

For instance, if you have the gift of teaching. There are many ways to use this talent: teaching children in a school, teaching a Bible study, teaching classes online, etc. The list is endless and may simply be teaching your child about your faith. What could be more important?

“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” Deut. 6:6-7 (NKJV)

If you have a talent for music, maybe you are to use that in the church, or on a stage somewhere, or simply to sing to someone who needs a comfort that words won’t reach. Maybe you only need to use that gift to raise your instrument to God in private worship. 

^“There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.” I Cor. 12:4-6

We are all different. Our callings are all different. But all are blessed when we follow God’s leading. When we ask Him to show us what to do.

Whatever tool we are given, whatever gift or talent, we must ask God His intent for our lives. How does He plan for us to use this for His purpose? Then we need to grab out sheet of paper and our little pair of scissors and do what He wants. From that will come beauty beyond what we can imagine.