Are You Using Your Talents?

An Elder from a little church shared her excitement with me that she was the speaker for the tithe, and  the Sunday the passage was in the Lectionary from Matthew 25:14-30. It was about talents and riches shared. This scripture would help her to illustrate the church’s need to balance the upcoming 2015 budget. I was skeptical. My doubt came from how this story had resonated within my spiritual journey.

As I shared a message during the service offered in a retirement community on the same Sunday the Elder planned to offer her words of financial giving, I paused and looked around the room at the faces of senior, who had given a lifetime of gifts. I sat down my written out sermon and began with a question: “What are the talents or gifts you have shared in your lifetime? The answers were numerous. The next question was: “What gifts are you sharing with others now?” There was a silence. One resident felt her gifts had been given. There was no other purpose.

I encouraged a resident to reread the parable once more from the Amplified Bible as we sat with our eyes closed so the story would come to life.

¹⁴ For it is like a man who was about to take a long journey, and he called his servants together and entrusted them with his property.

¹⁵ To one he gave five talents [probably about $5,000], to another two, to another one—to each in proportion to his own personal ability. Then he departed and left the country.

¹⁶ He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he gained five talents more.

¹⁷ And likewise he who had received the two talents—he also gained two talents more.

¹⁸ But he who had received the one talent went and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

¹⁹ Now after a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.

²⁰ And he who had received the five talents came and brought him five more, saying, Master, you entrusted to me five talents; see, here I have gained five talents more.

²¹ His master said to him, Well done, you upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the blessedness) which your master enjoys.

²² And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, Master, you entrusted two talents to me; here I have gained two talents more.

²³ His master said to him, Well done, you upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the blessedness) which your master enjoys.

²⁴ He who had received one talent also came forward, saying, Master, I knew you to be a harsh and hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you had not winnowed [the grain].

²⁵ So I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is your own.

²⁶ But his master answered him, You wicked and lazy and idle servant! Did you indeed know that I reap where I have not sowed and gather [grain] where I have not winnowed?

²⁷ Then you should have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received what was my own with interest.

²⁸ So take the talent away from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.

²⁹ For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will be furnished richly so that he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have will be taken away.

³⁰ And throw the good-for-nothing servant into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.

I do not usually carry my I-Phone with me during a service. It was in my jacket pocket. I turned it on and played the video of my cousin’s young daughter singing, “Hallelujah” for me in my Aunt’s kitchen during my trip to Indiana in May 2014. She is developing one of talents and sharing her gift with others.

Are you using your talents? Or are you hiding them?

Discover your talents, abilities or gifts…whatever the name you give them. Exercise them.

Today's Reflection: "For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will be furnished richly so that he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have will be taken away." - Matthew 25:29 (AMP)