Have You Buried Your Talent?

"So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents." (Matthew 25:28)

You're probably wondering why I chose this verse to blog about. I mean, it's not very uplifting, is it? The guy who had one talent had it taken away and given to the guy who had ten. Doesn't seem fair, does it? Ah, but why did he have it taken away?

Because he didn't do anything with it.

In contemporary vernacular, the word talent applies to a special skill, some inherent, others cultivated. But the word originated as a measure of weight, later a sum of money, and finally, the word we're familiar with. Singing. Dancing. Painting.

A gift.

God has given all of us gifts. I'm not talking about spiritual gifts. I'll leave that discussion for theologians and scholars. I'm talking about plain old, everyday gifts like the ones I mentioned above.

So what's your gift? Have you unlocked it? Have you found the key to whatever talent God blessed you with? Because I believe God gave everyone something that can bring others to Him.

Sure there are those obvious gifts. Preaching and public speaking. Those musical folks who write hymns and songs of praise--even song leaders. What about those Bible class teachers who get their students excited about studying God's word?

I know what some of you are saying. But I don't have a talent like that.

So what? Maybe your talent, your gift is a quiet spirit that draws others to pray with you. Maybe your gift is a gentle heart that shines with the love of Christ. Maybe your gift is the heart of a servant, willing to wash the feet of others--a meal to a grieving family, a card or visit to someone who's sick, a phone call to a shut-in to let them know you're thinking of them. Could a load of laundry for an overwhelmed new mother be our modern-day equivalent of travel-weary feet?

God expects every Christian to lead others to Him. And he's given every single one some gift to aid in doing that. Find your talent. Put it to use in His service. Don't bury it because you think it's not as important as someone else's gift.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

• Think about that one specific thing people admire about you--your kindness, your ability to learn and quote scripture--maybe it's cooking. That may be the gift God wants you to use to minister to others, to show His light and love. How many ways can you use that gift?
• Pray for opportunities to use your gift to bring glory to God.