Develop your talents

We have all been given gifts and talents from God with which to serve others. Each one of us is unique in the equipment God has bestowed on us. Therefore we must take good care of the talents given us from God. You are responsible for the gift given you, to develop it and to make progress in using it to the benefit of others. The little extra you do is so important!

Jesus told a parable about three people who received talents to manage. Two of them began at once to use the talents in order to be able to give more back to the Lord than they had received. One had received twice as much as the other but both managed to double their talents and received the same praise from the Lord. «Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness.»

The third thought differently from the first two. He had no idea of developing or using the talent he had received. He knew that one day he would give an account so he hid his talent so that he could give it back to the Lord unused. «Here is what belongs to you» he said. But the Lord was not pleased with this attitude and said «You wicked and lazy servant, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.» The talent was then taken from him and given to the man who had doubled his five talents to ten, for this is the eternal principle:

For everyone that has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. (Matt. 25:29)

We all have a responsibility for our own development. We are responsible to manage our talents rightly, so that we can give more back to the Lord than we had to begin with. Now the fact is, that practice makes perfect and that training and hard work, precede every success. It is also a fact that muscles that do not get used wither while those that are used become stronger! We must, by usage, train up our spiritual senses, our skills and talents, refine and develop our abilities so that they can be used to God’s glory.

Keep making progress

The apostle Paul had a burning desire to achieve all that God had planned for him when he called him. Therefore he says that he forgets what is behind as he presses on towards the goal which God has for him. He continually instructed the Christians to take new steps in many areas. It is important that we have the same attitude: a desire to reach our full potential for the honour of God.

We instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. (1 Thess. 4:1)

Do not neglect your gift which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. (1 Tim. 4:14-15)

It is so important that we don’t just sit back and relax with what we have received or achieved, but that we want continually to take new steps to please the Lord. We must not neglect the gifts we have received, but rather fire them up again and again so that we can develop a powerful ministry for God and our fellow men.

Only the best will do

A woman was once criticised for something she did to Jesus. When Jesus heard the criticism he said, «She has done what she could». He gave her full credit because she had done her best. It is only that which is good enough.

On the great day of reckoning it will not be any help to compare ourselves with others. Each one of us must answer for ourselves about what we have done with our lives in the situations we had, not those we could have had or wished we had had.

Help others

Our motives are of the greatest importance. If we do the right thing but not out of love for God or our fellow men, then it does not count. Therefore it is important that we do not act from personal ambition but rather seek to develop a care and concern for people so that we always want to help others.

The greatest joy we can have in life is making others happy. It is by helping others to win that we ourselves win the greatest victory! Do all you can to make helping others your way of life!

Exercise:

What are your talents or gifts?

In which areas can you make progress in the use of your talents or gifts?

Continue to memorise and add this Bible verse:

Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. (1.Pet. 4:10)