Are you burying your talent?

We read the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30 and perhaps wonder why would someone just bury his talent?  But then I believe many believers are doing the same thing: burying their talent.

A “talent” in the Parable of Matthew 25 was actually a sum of money or possibly a weight, as in “a talent of gold” or “a talent of silver”.  It does not mean what our English word “talent” means.  A talent of either gold or silver would be worth millions today. We can assume the ruler or master who bestowed these “talents” for growth and development was a powerful and wealthy man – picturing Yeshua, the coming King of kings, actually.

In any case, our Master bestowed money – or talents – to various ones. Since our God is the King of the Universe, and owns all things ultimately, everything you and I have been given, or have access to, is ultimately something that came from our Creator. Besides money and abilities (as in the English word “talent”), our very lives, our families, our home, our opportunities, our abilities, and of course receiving the very spirit of God – and much more – are all “talents” we’ve been given. 

Luke 16:10 says “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.”  There are many scriptures that say we all will have to stand and give account of what we did with what we’ve been given. We’ve each been given a lot. Each of us will also have to account for a lot then as well.

Frankly at times I fear for times in my life when I wasn’t protecting, developing, investing and growing the opportunities and stewardship I had been given. I hope through Christ in me, I hope I’m doing better now. But that got me thinking:  are we like the one servant who just buried his talent?

There comes a day of reckoning when we each must stand before our Maker and explain what we did with what he gave us.  See Romans 14:10-12 and Hebrews 4:13.

So each of the servants in Matthew 25 gave account.  Those who doubled what they were given were commended and invited to enter the joy of Lord and were given more responsibilities.  But then he came to the final servant who claimed he was afraid to use – and maybe lose – the sum of money he had been given, so he buried it “for safe keeping”.  That man’s talent was given to someone else, because Yeshua makes it clear that those who use and grow what they’ve been given, will be given more.  And those who do not will have what they had been given, taken away.

How’s it looking for you?  Are YOU and I burying the talents, opportunities, gifts of God’s spirit and all the things we have been given?  Or are we putting them to work and growing our opportunities? 

I dare say most of us are doing a mix:  profitably using and growing some of what we’ve been given, and disregarding the rest.

In a recent sermon or teaching, I spoke on the topic of “Are you doing your part in the Body of Christ”.  We each have a part or role to play.  We’re called parts of His body, and therefore also we’re part of each other.  In a human body, if one part is not doing its role, the body can get sick and even die. If one part gets hurt, the rest of the body feels the pain. Other parts come to its aid – to stop the bleeding and pain or to fight germs or anything bad that has entered our body. We are parts of one another. Are you doing your part – or burying your talent? 

But my point is this: every part of the body has a part to play to keep the body “happy” and healthy. Some believers seem to feel their only part is to come to church, sit and listen, participate in the hymn singing, and then go home. Oh – and they’ll pray for those on the prayer list.  All of that is great, but is it enough?  I say we have been given so much, and much will be expected of us. 

One example: the Bible itself. I have many, many Bibles plus many more on my smart phone and more yet on my computer. I have access to Greek and Hebrew lexicons, concordances, word studies plus various translations by the dozen.  In the apostles’ day, one had to be wealthy to be able to afford to have even just one scroll of one book of the Bible!  Many were illiterate back then. But today we can read and we can carry dozens of Bibles and Bible tools in our smart phones. To whom much is given, much will be expected.  Do you even read the Bible every day?  Do you?

How are we using our time, our money or our health?

Paul tells us that one reason we work is to earn money to help the needy (Ephesians 4:28).  Do you do that?  To whom much is given, much will be required.

So I hope you hear the full sermon on doing our part. So many in the Body don’t seem to even know they have a part in the body, or know what their part is. And yet it’s very clearly stated in the scriptures –as you’ll hear in the sermon – that we each have been given gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Developing the Body of Christ is not just the function of ordained ministers. It includes you. Every single one of you.  If you’re not burying your talents, it’s because you’re finding ways to use them. You’ll be using your time better so we get more accomplished. This will mean less TV, less Facebook and less Instagram and more efficient use of our time so we can glorify God in all we do.

If you can read – perhaps you can ask God for the talent to research and study – and then share what you’ve learned with those who preach and write.  Perhaps they won’t accept your first efforts. Don’t get discouraged. If you can write – use it. Write blogs. Ask website hosts if they’d be willing to review your blog and perhaps even use it.  I could use some help for blogs. I still work for a living 50 hours a week and then do this website in my “spare” time. 

I’m seeking to post more and more from other writers. I’ve had 2-3 write 1-2 blogs each, but please – this is your website too, and I want to use more writers. If 12 of you wrote just ONE blog that we can use, that would be one new blog from each of you in a year. Anyone want to take me up on that offer?  I just ask for ONE blog from some of you.  Just ONE. 

Some of you may wish to just submit ideas you think could be interesting blogs or sermons.  Submit them! Let me review them and some of your ideas may soon be on this website.  I’m always looking for sermon ideas too. Send in your thoughts!  Let’s work together on this.  If any of you will take me up on this, I will send you a sheet of “things to keep in mind” about writing for this website.

I’d ESPECIALLY like to hear from those of you outside the USA. And of course, I’d love blogs from those IN the USA as well.  I’d love to have articles, blogs, sermon ideas and more from Kenya, China, Ukraine, Russia, Germany, UK, Israel, Poland, Russia, Moldova, Philippines – from everywhere.  Think how RICH our content, our blogs and our sermons could be if you out there would believe what I’m saying and help be a part of this website, your website!  And then do the same at your local congregation.

So don’t ever tell Christ that you had no opportunity to write. I’m asking for you to write.

Don’t be discouraged if your initial efforts are not accepted. Thomas Edison, after all, had his well-known 10,000 experiments before he could get his electric lightbulb to work. Think of all those failures – but he just saw those as opportunities to learn even more and get it right “the next time”.  So he eventually found the solution. Imagine where we’d all be today if he had given up so soon. So don’t remain discouraged if it takes longer than you thought to develop your talent.

Some of you have been gifted with wonderful singing voices.  Are you using it to glorify God? We’re told “in everything you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Someday I’d like to have these sermons and blogs written in other languages – like German, Chinese, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, Italian and more.  Any ideas? 

Romans 5:5 says God’s love has been poured out on all of us by his spirit. ALL of us have that gift. And guess what?  The greatest of all gifts is love (1 Cor 13 is all about this, and see 1 Cor. 13:13 and 12:31).  We need to invest this love, develop it, grow it, ask for more of it – and let it flow in kindness, in joy, in patience and in all the things that 1 Cor. 13 says about it.

Having God’s love poured out into your heart is such a huge, huge gift.  Don’t bury it.

SO FIND OUT what you’ve been gifted with – what your equivalent of the “talent’ is for you.  You can find out in different ways:

--- ask God to reveal it to you (and he might do that in many different ways).  PRAY for him to open your eyes what is right there in front of you and inside you.

---ask a believer who knows you well what he/she feels are your gifts. Don’t be surprised if you don’t believe them.  I’ve told people “you have such a great gift of …” – but it often fell on deaf ears. Maybe people were trying to act humble. Just say “thank you”, then thank God for showing you through your friend – and then…

---step out in faith and start developing those talents and gifts. To whom much is given, much will be required.

But whatever you do, don’t just let your gift and talent lay idle and please don’t bury them.  USE them! You probably have more than just 1-2-3 talents and gifts.

Wouldn’t it be nice to hear the words that Yeshua wants to say to you and me when we stand before him?

Matthew 25:21

'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'