What good are you?

There is an interesting parable in the Bible about three fellows that were each given some money, (talents) and it was to be put to use. The master gave to each according to his ability; one got five talents, one got two and the other got one. Several months later the man who had given them the money came back and called them in to see an accounting of how they had utilized their talents. The man who received five talents had gone to work and earned five more; the man with two did likewise and earned two more; the man with one simply buried his money and when the money man called him for an accounting, he gave him back the original sum of money, one talent, and did not even have any interest that he had earned on the money to give him. The Bible states his master called him wicked and lazy. As a result, he took away his one talent and gave it to the one who had made the most of his gift and condemned the unprofitable one to eternal punishment.

In the Bible the word talent refers to a sum of money; I find it an interesting choice of words that God utilized. I do not think that it is a coincidnece that “talent”, which referred to a specific particular currency of the day was used, and I believe it is being used in this parable to have a dual meaning and refer not only to money, but to actual talent that one possesses. Jesus told this parable to encourage us to use our natural gifts or talents to glorify God and to warn us that to waste that opportunity would mean that we are “wicked and lazy” and that such waste is sin that will be punished eternally.

Hmmm The Bible tells us that there will be two judgments; one for non-believers, (the Great White throne of Judgment) and a judgment for believers whereby we will be judged and rewarded accordingly for what we have done in this lifetime. We will enjoy those rewards for eternity, or we will not have any rewards to enjoy. I believe this parable speaks in part to that judgment. God has blessed us all with varying gifts. Some of us are really gifted with talent to spare and some less, but all can contribute to the Kingdom of God according to their own gifts. The Bible plainly tells us that, “to them that much is given, much will be required”; therefore if you are one of those really talented people with many God-given gifts and talents you had better get busy. Even if you are just average or below, this parable warns that we should all be getting busy for the Lord and taking advantage of every opportunity and to refuse to do so yields poor consequences.

Some of us have a gift to make money and can actually use that gift to help finance any number of projects for the Lord. If we instead utilize that gift 100% for personal gratification and spend it all on yachts and mansions, we would not be utilizing our gifts for the Lord. If you have a musical gift of singing or playing an instrument and you do not use it in a choir or church orchestra or otherwise use this gift to glorify the Lord, then you would not be utilizing your talents in a manner acceptable to the Lord. If you can speak well and do not teach a Sunday school class, or maybe you are a good computer programmer or web designer who could assist the church with computer projects or otherwise utilize your gifts to glorify God, and refuse to do so, then you are in danger. Maybe you are a prayer warrior, or have a gift of working with children, or mowing the church lawn, or perhaps you are a great cook and could cook up a storm and feed those less fortunate; we all have gifts that can and should be utilized to glorify God.

Take an inventory of your gifts right now wherever you are sitting. What are your strengths and talents? Are you utilizing them the best way to glorify God? Are you using them in “any” way for the Lord? If not get busy; it affects your eternal comfort zone.

Matt. 25:23
His Lord said to him, “Well
done good and faithful servant; you
have been faithful over a few things,
I will make you ruler over many
things. Enter into the joy of your
Lord