Talents for God

Each one of us is gifted with talents from God…1st Peter 4:10 says:

As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

God has given us all special skills and talents that we should be using for God. We shouldn’t rest on them or use them for other purposes, but to bring God glory. There is a great story in Matthew 25:14-30. Jesus tells the parable of talents. In this parable he explains of a land owner who entrusts his property to 3 servants. Two of the servants took a risk and made an investment with theirs. They weren’t dealing with their money, but they didn’t rest on it, instead they took what was given to them to watch and made it a positive. The third servant was afraid of what might happen if he invest his, so he buries it. When the master returns he is happy with the two servants who invested, but is disappointed with the one who buried, telling him he was wicked and lazy.

What are we doing with the abilities God has given us? Do we sit on them or are we investing them? You say, “but I have no talent, what do I do.” We should be confident that God has gifted each us with a special ability and if we don’t know that ability we should pray that God would reveal it to us. Most importantly is the fact that we need to be using it, whether is seems little or whether it seems great, we have to try. The first time we walked we fell, the first time we rode the bike we dropped it, and the first time we attempted to swim we sunk. We can’t be afraid to use our special gifts for God’s glory.

Finally I think another meaning from this parable is if we don’t use we lose it. The two servants who invested were given back, but the one who buried his was left with nothing. If we continue to waste our talents for God, He may just end up taking them from us. We may not be able to speak in front of thousands, but we can make a difference to 1. We may not be able to lead a bus ministry, but we can drive one to church. We may not be able to sing a song, but we can provide encouragement to those who do. We may not be able to counsel the spiritually weak, but we can provide a shoulder to ones who are weeping.