Why is it important to develop one's gifts?

 Because our gifts keep us alive in the worst of times and also lead to success in the best of times.

One of the worst things that happens to people is to get PTSD through warfare. Although it's true many young men join the military when they are young and might not know any better for the excitement. But, if they find themselves in conflicts with people dying all around them including their friends, PTSD is one of the expected results in many people. So, one could say that "Too much excitement and death kills people too, only usually more slowly than a bullet.

If you look into the lives of many of those convicted or on trial for breaking into the U.S. Capitol on January 6th 2021, you will see that many of these people both men and women were veterans who now have PTSD. And their PTSD led to very bad decisions and to their Jail time and convictions.

PTSD interferes with a person's capacity to make good decisions in their lives and often brings their deaths on quicker too. 

When you understand this you will see why developing your gifts is important to your long term survival.

You only have to get a few things right to live a really great life.

I once read a book written in the 1930s which was called "Life begins at 40".

Though in many ways it is out of date compared to now some things still perfectly align with today.

The single important thing that is universally true still is this:

"If you have all your ducks in a row by age 40 then life can literally begin at 40."

But, if you don't have one or more of your ducks in a row then 40 can also be the beginning of the ending of your life.

It all depends upon how many things you got right up to that point.

Some people will say that having your finances in order is the whole thing.

One some levels that's true. But, if you are an alcoholic or unhappy for various reasons in your life money alone will not save you.

I would say the single most important thing to have at 40 is to be your own best friend. To have made peace with yourself. To have integrity with yourself.

If you have spent your whole life hurting people to survive to be 40 you have also been hurting yourself by doing this too. So, having a future is actually very iffy if you have spent your whole life hurting others and yourself.

So, the wisdom of developing one's God Given gifts becomes very important for one's survival past 40 and one's children's survival as well.

If you can save your children often you can save yourselves too with the wisdom garnered by living until 40 to begin with.