Giving of our Talent

“For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.” – Matthew 25:29

Paul, in praise of the Christians of Macedonia, wrote: “How that in great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering of the saints. And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God” (2 Corinthians 8:2-5). The fact that these Christians were willing to give more than just their money those who were in need is most impressive, indeed!

The various abilities we all possess are gifts entrusted to us by God. Whether we are capable of great feats of physical strength and endurance, diplomatic interpersonal skills, extraordinary intelligence, or any other such like ability, we all have God to thank for what we are capable of doing. But, are we using our various talents for the glory of God, or we simply wasting them selfishly?

In His “Parable of the Talents” (Matthew 25:14-30), Jesus made the point that, no matter how many talents we may or may not have, God expects us to use those talents and not simply hide them from the world. If one has a talent for teaching, one must find a way to use that talent for the cause of Christ; if one has a talent for singing, then one must find a way to use that talent for God’s glory; if one has a talent for preaching, then one must preach the gospel to all who will listen. Making the best use of our God-given talents is not an optional proposition: it is something we all must do, if we want to go to Heaven!

There are Christian doctors who go on medical mission trips, so they can use their talents to glorify God. There are Christian young people who go on door knocking campaigns, so they can be useful in the Lord’s service. It doesn’t matter who you are, or how much talent you have, God can use you in His kingdom!