Talents and what we are called to do
Josh Newton | Feb 3, 2010
This past Wednesday’s sermon was very hard for me to preach. It was on a passage that I am sure most of you are familiar with, the parable of the Talents (Matthew 25.14-30). In this passage we see that God gives to each of us according to our ability and expects us to go out and use what he has given us. He expects us to invest and grow the abilities, resources, friendships, gifts and talents that he has entrusted us with.
This sermon was hard for me personally because I am guilty of comparing my accomplishments to the accomplishments of others. I am glad when I do better than others and discouraged when I do not do as well as others. One of the messages in this passage that must not be overlooked is that God gives to each of us, according to our abilities.
Our responsibility as Christians, in response to what Christ has done for us, is to use our abilities for his glory and that will look different for all of us. There will always be some who God has gifted more and some who he has gifted less, it is unfair of us to compare ourselves to someone who has been given more or less.
I taught our students this, now I have to go out and apply it. As I think about this and realize my shortcomings, I wonder how our students would respond if we confessed that we do not always apply the messages we hear and that we sometimes fail. Maybe they would realize that the Christian life is a process, they might be relieved to know that we fail (they probably already know this, but they may be impacted by our honesty).
Share with your children some of the talents God has entrusted with you and show them how you are investing those talents. Confess to them that it is difficult not to compare the quality of what we do with others even though we know that we each have been given according to our ability. Encourage them by telling them some of the talents you see in their lives that God has entrusted them with. Help them to invest those talents and work to increase those talents as they wait for the return of the master, our Lord Jesus Christ.
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