God Given Talent

   
     Are you familiar with the parable of the businessman and the three talents? (Matthew 25:14-30) A wealthy businessman is going away for a period of time and he entrusts three of his servants with varying quantities of his talents (gold). No real instructions on what to do with the talents, just an understanding that he would want his property back when he returned. As the parable goes one servant who received 5 talents went out and doubled his master's money. Another that received 2 talents doubled his portion as well. The third servant was only given 1 talent, and out of fear of failing to improve his master's lot in life he went out and hid the talent so that he would be able to give his master back what he had been given. Playing it safe. In the end, that didn't work out to well for the cautious, unmotivated servant. Upon his return, the master ended up giving the first two servants what they had earned through investing their master's money, but the third reluctant servant was admonished for his cowardly actions and had his one talent given to the servant that had been given ten talents. Moral of the story, we all have been given gifts. Some may appear to be overloaded with gifts, God given talents, while some of us feel like we were in the wrong line when talent was being distributed. And that is where you are wrong, completely, 100% wrong. Like I previously stated, each of us has been given talents to the level of which we can handle them and use them by investing in others.
     Talent is a broad and encompasses a list of skills, attributes, and qualities that make us who God wanted us to be. It may appear that some people we know are talented in just about everything they do. Athleticism, mechanically inclined, high intelligence, or musical talented are just a few prime examples of recognizable talents, but empathy, serving, giving, counseling, teaching, and leading are other talents that many times go unnoticed or unappreciated. Each of us has been given talents according to what our intended purpose on this old rock is.
      Problem is too many of us either are afraid to invest ourselves in our talents or we are misusing our talents for our own personal gain and benefit. Think back to our parable for just a minute. The first two servants invested the talents they had been given even though there was no promise of profiting anything for their efforts to invest and produce a profit for their master. They did what they did because it was the right thing to do. They had been entrusted with something valuable, what good would it be to hid it in a corner. The opportunity was in front of them and they chose to go for it! Nothing ventured nothing gained! The sad, insecure servant hid his "God given" talent, afraid to take a chance, scared to invest what he had been given eliminating the opportunity to benefit someone else with the investment he could have made. Read the end of the parable and ask this question, "How'd that turn out for you?"
     Are you that servant? Are you afraid to go out and use the skills and abilities that you have been given? Are you afraid that you might fail and thus appear defeated? Again, nothing ventured nothing gained, I protest! You have a talent, myriad talents and God gave them to you for one reason, to use them for the benefit of others. When you were created, skills were placed in your DNA that are unique to you and you alone. What a shame to allow those talents to go hidden, forgoing the opportunity to help someone else or a whole group of somebodies. What is holding you back, fear? President Franklin D. Roosevelt dismantled that one pretty quick in his inaugural speech back in 1933 as he addressed a country climbing out of the Great Depression proclaiming that "We have nothing to fear, but fear itself."  Or is it lack of desire to use our talents for the good of mankind. A selfish man can't see how his talents were designed to help others, and many times feels that using his talent is a waste of time if it isn't benefiting himself. That focus on self- preservation usually ends up in a deficit model much like the servant with the one talent in Jesus' parable.
     You have been given the talent you possess for one of the following reasons, to help others, to benefit others, or to lift up others. When you invest your talents into the lives of others your return on that investment will pay dividends much like the first two servants in our parable. That investment will not only change your life, but also the lives of those you impact through your talent. Go out and sing, work, invent, or lead whatever your talent is. "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38.
Coach Carter