Using God's Gifts for His Glory

Using God's Gifts for His Glory

“For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
“Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’
“Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’
“And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’
“But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’” (Matt. 25:14–30, NASB).

Joyce and I recently completed a six-week course at church about spiritual gifts. The course primarily helped us discover how God has molded us to serve Him. We learned about the gifts and talents He has given us, as well as our personality types, passions, and “personal styles” which should be consecrated to God’s service. Incidentally, my main spiritual gifts are teaching, discernment of spirits, and word of knowledge, with prophecy not too far behind. Although Joyce has a very different set of spiritual gifts, I found it amazing how thoroughly compatible we are in terms of ministry. Her gifts and talents seem to perfectly complement mine.

This knowledge will prove helpful in the future. It is easy to drift aimlessly when we do not know where we are going or what we are supposed to do. With a confirmed, clear picture of how God molded me, it will be easier to pursue His will for my life and ministry. However, this knowledge will be utterly useless if I do not act on it.

This reminds me of the third slave (“servant” in many Bible translations) in the Parable of the Talents (above) who received one talent from his master and squandered it. Many sermons emphasize how the first two slaves are rewarded for their faithful use of what they received and how we need to use whatever God gives us. However, we tend to gloss over the third slave. Everything he says and does is a revealing reflection of the hearts of many believers. Sometimes we fail to serve God effectively because we do not know how He wants to use us. But at other times, we fail to serve God because our beliefs, thoughts, and attitudes are wrong.

For clarification, a “talent” was an ancient unit of measure, approximately equivalent to 75 pounds by American standards. As a monetary unit, one talent of silver would equal about 30 years’ wages for an ordinary laborer. So, all three men in this story were entrusted with hefty sums of money. Nevertheless, the parable is not only about how we handle money; it is about how we handle everything God gives us, including our abilities.

The parable begins by showing the master’s graciousness. He entrusts 30 years’ wages to even the least of his servants. Yet, this slave receives the smallest amount. Keep in mind that God knows whom He can trust. “From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more” (Luke 12:48). This servant received little probably because he had not proven himself trustworthy.

Many Christians do not receive what they expect from God and wonder what He is doing wrong. However, He may give little because He knows He can expect little from us! Why would God reward you with millions of dollars if you waste it on yourself? Why would He entrust a megachurch-sized ministry to you if He knows all your preaching will be a show to inflate your ego?

The master expected all three to conduct business in his behalf during his absence. The first two slaves took their master’s money, transacted business with it, and doubled their investment. The third slave, though, buried his money in a field. He did not steal it, but he did nothing that would benefit his master.

We can only guess about his real motives. Perhaps the slave thought his master might not return and the money would be his. He did not want to invest his money with a banker, thereby documenting the fact that the money belonged to his master. Whatever his motives, he made two mistakes that Christians need to avoid.

First, he chose not to use the talent for his master’s benefit. Likewise, some Christians refuse to use certain talents, or other blessings from God, for His glory. It might be a lawyer who refuses to give free legal advice to the church board. An accountant may refuse to serve as church treasurer, stating, “I do this for a living. I don’t do it for free.” Musicians may refuse to play in the church band if they cannot be stars. True disciples of Jesus are willing to donate their talents to the Kingdom of God. This does not mean Christian medical doctors must provide free services to all church members, or spend the entire fellowship time at church giving medical advice. However, we all should find productive ways of dedicating every blessing from God to His service.

Second, the slave hid his talent. Some Christians hide what God has given them from others, thereby ensuring that nobody else will be blessed by it. He may even hide it from himself, ignoring the fact that God has given him a talent. We might think our abilities are not important, prestigious, or impressive enough. This may inspire us to try to be something we are not. However, we all need to take what God gives us and keep it in the open. Share your talents with the church. If it does not seem like a “spiritual enough” talent, share it with a few friends. God can turn it into a ministry.

Unfortunately, many sermons gloss over the slave’s explanation for his behavior. When the master comes to settle accounts, he says, “Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours” (Matt. 25:24). He essentially blamed his master for his unfaithfulness. This becomes apparent as we closely examine this quotation.

“Master, I knew you to be a hard man.” The first two slaves may beg to differ. Maybe the master was hard with this one particular person, but I think I understand why! Like the third slave, many Christians blame God for their self-inflicted misfortune. “God, you’re not fair! That’s why I did not do anything; because I know I’m going to wear myself out and I won’t get anything in return. Nobody will even thank me!” We might even view God as some cruel tyrant whom we had better not upset. However, if that were the case, would it not be a good reason to make every effort to please Him in some way? Blaming God gets us nowhere.

“…[R]eaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed.” This was the master’s money! The slave knew whose money it was, what his job description entailed, and what was expected of him. The money belonged to the master, not to the slave. He had received it as a trust. Likewise, we receive everything as a trust from God. Our money is given to meet our needs and enable us to share with others. Our talents are given to bless others. We own nothing; everything we have truly belongs to God. Your talents belong to Him. Just as the slave talked as if the master had no authority over the use of the money, we sometimes act like God has no right to utilize the talents He gives us. When we refuse to use our gifts for God’s glory, we are guilty of robbing Him.

“I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground.” It is hard to find a valid reason for fear after reading about the first two slaves. A very similar parable appears in Luke 19:11–27. In that account, the two faithful servants are entrusted with authority, power, and prestige in a kingdom, based on their performance in this test. Christians need to remember that a great reward will follow our faithfulness. We see no indication in this story that any of the slaves knew they would receive even a pat on the back for their service. Yet, the first two receive a great reward. God promises everlasting life to those who trust Jesus. Scripture assures us we will be rewarded for our faithful service to Him. With our limited natural perspective, we do not fully comprehend the reward. We can trust God that it will be great, though!

Finally, the slave says, “See, you have what is yours.” The slave is essentially denying any responsibility for his actions and refusing to discuss it further. In other words, he is saying, “Here’s your money. Now leave me alone. Case closed!” (Is this guy even aware that he is a slave?) Some of us may may not want to hear a word about God’s will for our lives.

From the master’s response, we can surmise that God wants at least some return for His investment in our lives. He might accept even a minimal profit from us. However, when we commit our time, talents, and treasures to the Lord and His work, we are the ones who benefit. Sure, He can save the world without my help. He can draw people to Himself whether I speak or not. If I decide not to be a Bible teacher, He will find another way to get His Word out. When we serve God, we benefit. The reward comes back to us. Why would any of us choose not to serve Him with all we have?