“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” – Genesis 3:1
The very first recorded question in Scripture did not come from Adam, Eve, or even from God. It came from the serpent. Satan’s first strategy was not a direct attack against Eve but an attack against God’s Word. Notice that he questioned what God had said and then subtly twisted it. God had generously permitted Adam and Eve to eat from every tree in the garden except one, but Satan reframed the command in a way that made God seem restrictive rather than gracious. The enemy still works the same way today. Before he leads people into sin, he first seeks to undermine their confidence in God’s truth.
What makes this especially tragic is that Satan was originally created for God’s glory. He was gifted, beautiful, and uniquely designed by his Creator. Yet rather than using those gifts to honor God, he turned them toward rebellion. The abilities God gave him became tools for deception. The contrast reminds us that every gift we have is ultimately from God and is meant to be used for His purposes. Whether our gifts involve leadership, teaching, encouragement, serving, creativity, music, or hospitality, they were entrusted to us to glorify the Lord and build up His people. A gift detached from its God-given purpose eventually becomes self-serving rather than God-honoring.
Peter reminds believers to minister to one another as faithful stewards of God’s grace. The question is not whether God has gifted you, but how you are using those gifts. Are they being used to advance your kingdom or His? Are they drawing attention to yourself or pointing others toward Christ? God has intentionally equipped every believer for meaningful service. When those gifts are surrendered to Him, lives are changed, hearts are encouraged, and people are drawn to the Savior. The gifts God has given you may become part of someone else’s journey to Christ if they are placed in His hands.
Take some time today to ask the Lord to reveal how He has gifted you and where He desires you to serve. If you already know your gifting, ask whether you are using it faithfully for His glory. Don’t allow your talents to become tools for self-promotion. Instead, offer them back to the One who gave them. God has entrusted you with gifts for a purpose, and there may be someone waiting to hear about Jesus through the very thing He has placed in your hands.
“The Lord pours most into those who are most empty of self. Those who have least of their own shall have the most of God’s. The Lord cares little what the vessel is, whether golden or earthen, so long as it is clean, and disengaged from other uses.” – Spurgeon
