And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. – Ephesians 4:11-12, KJV

No matter how much life you have left to live, you can have an impact on those around you. The question is, what kind of impact will you have, and on how many people will you have it? The answers to these questions rest a great deal on how you use the talents that God has given you. Before you can use them, though, you must recognize what they are.

If you are a parent, you have few tasks greater in scope and impact than helping your children to understand where their talents and passions lie. In his youth, Benjamin Franklin’s father exposed the young Founding Father to a variety of potential vocations. One day, he recognized Benjamin’s passion for books. As Franklin writes in his autobiography, “This bookish inclination at length determined my father to make me a printer…” (Excerpt From: Franklin, Benjamin. “Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.” iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright. Check out this book on the iBookstore: https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewBook?id=396135639) His father’s push in the right direction set young Franklin on a course to becoming one of the most influential men in American history.

If you didn’t have the benefit of parental guidance like Franklin did, you can still examine yourself to pinpoint your talents and passions. You can also enlist the aid of friends and family to confirm your self-analysis. What do you like to do that you do well? What do you have such a passion for that you will not let anything stop you from pursuing it? The answers to these questions help identify what talents and passions God has equipped you with – the talents and passions He expects you to impact others with.

The unfulfilling life comes from our refusal to use our God-given talents and passions in the way He intended. Perhaps we use them for our own gain, or perhaps we don’t use them at all. In either case, we prevent the Holy Spirit from working through us for the benefit of others, and when we bottle up the Spirit, we are miserable. If, however, we use our talents and passions for His intended purpose, then we’ll live the fulfilling life God intended for us, and we’ll enjoy the ride along the way.