Consumer versus Contributor

At a Bible study today, the class went over Collosians chapter 1. For the past two weeks, the study group has been tackling that one chapter, and today we finally made it to the end. In essence, the chapter speaks of the words of Paul to the Corinthians. These are a people currently seeking the truth of God but are wrapped in a culture of idolotry (sp?). Paul is a prisoner, yet he has come to them to speak about the truth of God and how Jesus died that we might live. What struck me most came in Collosians 1:28-29. Here are few translations:

Contemporary English Version
28 We announce the message about Christ, and we use all our wisdom to warn and teach everyone, so that all of Christ's followers will grow and become mature.

29 That's why I work so hard and use the mighty power he gives me.

New International Version
28 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.
29 To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

King James Version
28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

(Ahhh, yes. Good 'ol King James. Never fails to confuse.)

Now Paul is speaking to the Corinthians about God as their savior, but in the last verses that I mentioned here, he also speaks about every Christian's call service. In the Bible study, we referred to it as stewardship. In essence, it begs the question of whether we are mere consumers of the Christian faith or contributors to it. I am doing a bit of simplification here for the purposes of this blog post, but the final question we had to ask ourselves was how we were using the talents God gave us to be good stewards and to educate others about the beauty and grandeur of Christ.

It's a simple question yet it's one I know I cannot answer adequately. I have talents clearly that God has given me, but how I am using them to win souls for Christ? How am I using them to strengthen the spiritual maturity of the church? Of MY church?

Do I just go to church to reap the benefits of contructive dialog and grappling with the Word or am also taking that knowledge or using what I know to encourage others?

Do I give away all my talents to the entity who signs my paycheck? Or am I using those talents to fulfill God's mission? And when I am honest with myself and admit that I am not, what can I do to set things right?