Talent

I was quite young when the word "talent" came to my attention. I was not entirely sure what it meant but it sounded flattering when, after I sang in church one morning, an elderly woman approached me with a wide grin on her face and told me I had talent.  Upon getting home, I went straight to my mom and eagerly requested an explanation of that word which, apparently, was something I possessed. 

Without missing a beat, my mom directed my attention to the Bible and told me to read Matthew 25:14-30. This is the passage where Jesus tells the parable of the talents (to one servant the master gave five, to another two, and to the third servant, a single talent). I liked the story as soon as I read it but I returned to my mom with a puzzled expression on my face and uttered, 

“Why did that woman say I had talent?”

This time, my mom did take the time to explain that by talent, most people refer to the finest and best skills each person possesses. Filled with pride, I beamed when I said, 

“So, that elderly woman paid me a compliment because she believes I am a really good singer?”

Wisely, my mom pointed out that it was nice of that lady to acknowledge my singing. She further assured me that singing was indeed one of my talents. Yet, ultimately, I have no right or basis to be prideful about any single talent I possess because each one of them came from God. In fact, every talent is a special charge or specific assignment a master entrusts to a servant. In other words, Jesus is the Master, I am the servant, and singing is one talent He has entrusted to me.

As the truth began sinking into my brain, she posed,

“Son, do you want to be like the guy with the five talents or the one who buried his?”

I will not forget that day.

I will not forget that powerful lesson.

I will not dare take my singing for granted.

In hindsight, I can see that one of my mom’s talents is the gift of teaching.

Since then, the parable of the talents has become one of my favorites because it is a good story which furnishes a memorable explanation of the word talent and provides a variety of good life applications.  

Through the years, I have heard people from all walks of life claim that they have no talent whatsoever, meaning they cannot sing or play an instrument or do anything that is considered artistic. Truth be told, there are music majors at colleges and universities in the world who do not sing or play that well either. Those of us who can sing and/or play well should be humble and grateful to the Lord who saw it fitting to bless us in this way. 

Nonetheless, I must say that every single person on earth has received many talents from God, the Maker of the Universe. Matthew 25:14-30 suggests that God charges each individual with specific tasks linked directly to his/her areas of giftedness. Some may have five, others two, and yet others one. Some may be gifted in music, others in preaching, and yet others in administration. 

We all have talents. Those talents or gifts we possess are nothing but daily chores that we must perform faithfully. They should never be used as self-promoting materials but ought to be used for the common good of the body of Christ as investment vehicles to further God's kingdom in the world.

How does that take place?

Firstly, each person needs to come to terms with the fact that there is no room for jealousy over somebody else’s talent. God has gifted each and every person uniquely. If I envy other people because of their artistic gifts, then I am merely telling God that He made a mistake in how He has blessed me. I ought to be grateful for what I have.

Secondly, every human being has to work diligently to generate a worthwhile product with God’s gifts of time, treasure, talent, and toil or task. We have to ask ourselves:

“What do I do in the 24 hours I am given each day? What do I do with the income I receive? How effectively and efficiently do I use my gifts of music, cooking, cleaning, athletics, or, even, frienship? How conscientious and patient am I with the tasks assigned to me at work, at home, within the body of Christ? Am I diligent with God’s resources in my life?”

Thirdly, God will evaluate our performance someday and He will measure our fruitfulness according to the way we handle our resources on earth, including each song we sing, each friendship we share, each gift we receive, and each rehearsal we attend. This point brings a wave of gratitude into my heart for God’s grace because without Christ, we can do nothing. It gives us a fresh opportunity to thank Him for all He has allowed us to do and for what He will enable us to do until this earth passes away.

Fourthly, we need to acknowledge that there is a continuum or scope for each talent we have been granted – it either increases or it decreases. The old adage "use it or lose it" is really true. So, when we invest thirty minutes in practicing a piece of music, it means that we are breathing life into that half of an hour. The neglect or refusal to exercise our gifts with purpose simply means that we are poisoning God’s resource to death.

Lastly, we need to admit that using God’s resources takes a great deal of faith. Faith involves taking risks. Most people do nothing because they are afraid of failure. God says we should only fear Him. So, it is much better to risk and fail than doing nothing at all. The first two servants doubled their talents and the master rewarded them with the title "good and faithful worker." The third one played it safe by doing nothing but the master called him "wicked, lazy servant."

How convicting!

My meditation on the word “talent” has brought me face to face with God. He has placed me on His operating table and wrought an intense surgical procedure on my heart. He has led me to see how unfruitful I am when I play it safe. He has shown me that my perfectionism, which often halts my growth in many areas, is nothing but a pitiful attempt on my part to take control of what I thought was mine. Just like the small boy who left his loaves and fish in the hands of Jesus, I need to surrender all I possess into the hands of God and wait patiently for His miraculous multiplication. 

I tend to think that if I just secure things and make sure that I lose nothing, then at least I will stay afloat. God is showing me that such a tendency will always prevent me from living a life of increase and fruitfulness; it will lead me to death. The words of Jesus confirm that truth in Luke 9:24, 

“If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. 

But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.” 

(NLT) 

The last part of that verse tells us the reason for surrendering our talents to Christ – it is for the sake of Christ. When we exercise our gifts, we are really investing. We are choosing to sow a seed and wait on God for the incubation and increase of that seed. Investing is linked to obedience and faith which are the quintessential elements of righteousness. Non-investing, otherwise known as doing nothing, is a form of rebellion or wickedness or unfaithfulness.  

Job 15:31 says it best: 

“Let him not deceive himself by trusting what is worthless, 

for he will get nothing in return.”

So, are we investing the resources God has entrusted to us? Are we striving for righteousness by spreading God’s fame through our talents or are we settling for wickedness by playing it safe and being lazy with His gifts? 

O Christ, embolden us to be good and faithful servants with the resources You have entrusted to us! In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen.