This week I want to start off with some verses from God’s word, ““For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” Matthew 25:14-30
In this passage, a master leaves talents for his servants to watch over, while he is on a trip. Note that this was no small amount of money, a talent was worth 20 years of labor wages, so probably around $810,980 per talent in today’s money. I know that this passage is about Jesus leaving after He dies on the cross and when He comes back some day. But, we are not supposed to sit idle during this time, He has a reason for each and every one of us being here. He has given us all a purpose, people to reach, and people we need to show the love of Jesus to. He has given each one of us special abilities and I believe that we can choose to waste those abilities or we can choose to use them for His purpose and glory. But another thing the talents might represent is our life. He may give us life and yet we waste it on selfish desire, instead of doing what He has called us to do or we can invest our lives into His kingdom and return His investment 10 fold. No matter who you are God has given you a life and special abilities, what will you do with them, will you squander them or will you use them to serve a Him and reach others for His kingdom or will you be like the third servant who wasted his money by hiding it, in the same way you could just hide your special abilities.
I believe that the servant with the one talent had all he needed to make an impact for his master and make more, but he did not. I do not believe in a work based salvation; I believe that only calling on the name of Jesus can save us, which makes me think the talents may be how many times we were shared the gospel with, before we believed. Because I have met people who understand salvation, but do not accept it because they want to continue to live in their lives of sin. Maybe the talents represent an opportunity to accept the gospel and the ones earned represent belief shared.
So this week, think about whether you are using your life and your special abilities for yourself and your glory or are you using it to reach others for Him. If you are waiting to get serious about God until you turn a certain age or until you feel like, then know we are not promised tomorrow. Just like the master who came back in the parable unexpectedly, in the same way God will come back quickly and we will not see Him coming, it will be in an instant, we will not have time to prepare, so always be ready for Him. You can not afford to wait for salvation. I also feel like there is someone who may feel like they have missed their opportunity to serve God and I want to tell them that if their heart is still beating, then you can still serve Him.