Are You Sinning Against Your Talents
As a teenager I was a long-distance runner, but it wasn’t something I continued to do on a regular basis, so when my daughter signed us up for a half-marathon a few years ago, I could only run a few blocks before having to walk.
If you have been working out for some time, and consider yourself in good shape, just stop for a few weeks and see what happens. It won’t take long before you feel more sluggish, your mind won’t be as sharp, and you’ll likely start to eat poorly too.
Have you ever had a cast on your arm or leg? What happens while you’re healing? Ironically, it may appear that your limb is half the size it was and now you’re starting over again.
When what we’ve been given goes dormant, we lose the use of it.
There’s a story in the New Testament that explains the importance of not wasting what we have. It goes like this, “A man going on a journey, called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
“After a long time, the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
“The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So, I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So, you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned, I would have received it back with interest.
“‘So, take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 25:14-30.
Given the context, this story has specific applications, but there is a universal truth that is pertinent for any of us, regardless of our background, abilities, personalities or even our worldview.
The talents in this story may have been gold, but whatever it was, each servant was given a significant amount. You may or may not have gold, but you do have talents, and I’m not referring to singing or playing the piano, although those are good too.
You have time, money, abilities, resources and opportunities and it is a colossal waste if you do not use them.
This is where I get my perspective that life is about stewardship. We are given things to make use of in this world and for the sake of others. But we must choose to put them into practice, and it’s only with practice that we get better at using them.
This life law is obvious. When you stop doing something you’re good at, you will become less good at it, and to get good at it again, you will need to practice more.
Whether it’s public speaking, writing a report, painting, leading a team, or whatever your skill set is, the phrase, “use it or lose it” applies. This was especially true for the third servant who did nothing with what he was given. (Taken from Vantage Point: Five Perspectives to Live a Better Story p101-103)
Here's my point...
- We are all given a talent.
- It's up to us whether we use it or put it to good use or not.
- If we don't use our talents, at some point, they will be taken away.
You've been given a talent; don't waste it! Don't bury it!
Put it to good use!
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