The Parable of the Talents

Doing the job that God has set before us

Matthew 25:14-31

God has given all of us gifts and talents, in order that we may advance his kingdom.

Three primary things to learn from this passage

• Be faithful with what you have, big or small

• Don't compare yourself with other people and their talents

• Do not respond in fear to what God has given you

1. Don't compare yourself with other people and their talents

Often times we like to compare ourselves with other people. Often times many people have a strong desire to be noticed by the work they do and have recognition. But there are always some people that will just get more lime light than others. We have to understand that God created all of us in a unique way. We need to be willing to recognized that and surrender our dreams before the Lord. Envy and jealousy can be a thing that can seep into our hearts and create strongholds in our lives. We must not let this happen. If we allow envy to become a part of our life we will be greatly hindered in being faithful to the call that God has given us.

For instance you might see someone who is a better musician than you, better communicator, or more popular. Although people might marvel at traits like this that's not what God sees. God sees the heart of the person and whether or not they are having a servants heart.

2. Be faithful with what you have big or small

Usually, despite our talents, God might have us get started on something that we might not exactly enjoy for a season. But God calls us to be faithful in the little things and as long as we persevere God will promote us and gives responsibility in bigger things. If we follow the example of the servant with the five and the servant with the two talents God will promote us into doing greater things.

A real life example might be your job situation that you don't like, or a position in the church that you don't really care for. God can work through these situations to bring about greater fruit and character in your life.

1. Do not respond in fear to what God has given you

The reason why the servant with one talent acted so foolishly was out of fear and laziness. He cried to his master saying “ Master, I know you. You're a difficult man, reaping where you haven't sown and gathering where you haven't scattered seed. So I was afraid and hid your talent in the ground.” We are to respond with joy to what God has entrusted us. There should be no hesitation or slacking. We should learn to live a ordered lifestyle. That will help us to face up the challenges that God gives us. But if we refuse he will find someone else who to bring about his will.

As we observe the church today: we observe that usually the people that have the most fruit in their lives are the ones that are active in their local church. They take joy in serving God through serving other people. This is how we should be. The often refers to us as bond slaves. We are bondslaves because we have made that commitment the day we realized that God offered the gift of salvation to us and we gladly received it. When received that gift we also committed our lives to serving him out of love and gratitude for what he has done for us. But if we respond to God in the way that the servant with one talent responded. We're forgetting about our salvation and are not acting out of love towards God. Instead we shy away from him. I know a lot of people who are like this: they have great potential but they aren't willing to move on anything the Lord has given them to use and thus they produce no fruit. It's time that we realized the full potential that we have in serving Christ and what a pleasure it is to serve him. Our master went completely out of his way to save us. Can't we go a little bit out of our comfort zone to serve him? Look at all the people in the bible who started out with almost nothing but were raised into high places of influence (talk a little about David (shephered boy to king), Esther , Gideon (risen up from a nobody to a general, and Joshua)

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