Have you ever imagined what life would look like if you had a particular talent and how the story of your life would be completely different?
While those thoughts might paint beautiful pictures you long for, the reality is that God has endowed you with the giftings that will lead to your perfect picture. We were all created special with unique gifts and talents. The problem is that most of us have not discovered our gifts, some would rather have something else, and only a few have embraced their gifts and are actively working at it. The parable of the talent in Matthew 25 illustrates the different categories and the power of maximizing the gift of God.
The kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. He gave one five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But the servant who received one talent went and dug in the ground, and hid the money.
It is so easy for us to hide our talent like the servant who received one talent. We look at what we have and underestimate what God can do with it. It is easy to compare ourselves to others and feel like other people have the advantage and that is why they are succeeding and making profit – however, that is not true.
The best thing that you and I can do is to focus on what we have been given and make the best use of it. Perspective matters a lot! The servant with one talent could have chosen to leverage the opportunity of focus that comes with one talent and throw himself into that one thing, becoming the absolute best at it. Instead he chose to do nothing….
After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. The servant who received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
The servant who received one talent had a different perspective of the Master and that influenced his action. I often wonder why he thought that the Master was a hard man… could he have made that conclusion out of self-pity? Did he make that inference because he perceived the disadvantage of getting only one talent? The other servants made profit and were judged faithful. Perhaps if the servant with one talent had worked with what he had and made one more talent, he would have been considered a success as well. The Master was not expecting him to make massive return from his investment, the Master only expected him to work with what He got and make profit.
“For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.” Matthew 25:29
What are you doing with what you have been given? Are you maximizing your talent(s)? God is expecting you to use what you have and enjoy every minute of it. The year 2018 will end in exactly 50 days, the days seem to have flown by but it is important to know that it is not too late to start or to rediscover yourself.
Maximize the last 50 days of 2018, finish the year strong and step into the new year as the best version of you.
The world is waiting for your manifestation!
