Using Your God-Given Talents…Part 3

As we conclude this three part series let’s discuss the use of our talents.  Being involved is more than just doing a little here or there.  It’s a life style of giving God my ALL.  Jesus gave His life for me, should I give Him anything less than my life?

Christ tells the parable of the three men who were each given talents “according to his ability.”  As we read Matthew 25 we see that two of the men labored in such a way as to double their talents, and in the end they were praised for their work.  This serves as a clear example of what we should be doing with what God has entrusted to us.  The third man, however, buried his head in the sand and did nothing with the talent his lord had given him.  Consider the consequences for this action: “You wicked, lazy slave…Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness…”  (Matthew 25:26, 30)  Folks, we all have talents!  God has blessed you with talents that He might not have blessed me with.  Perhaps I have talents that you don’t have…how will we use what God has given us?

Recently, one of our senior members here at Waterview encouraged some of her friends to come together each week and take a hot meal to one of our elderly shut-ins.  An elderly, aging senior is blessed by the compassion of her friends, and these friends in their golden years are still serving.  It would be easy to sit back and say, “Somebody should do that,” but these senior sisters are serving the Lord’s church!  Another member here serves the younger people with letters of encouragement, hugs of sincerity and has an attendance record that models faithfulness.  Others within our Prime Timer’s Ministry meet monthly to encourage each other and reach out to those in declining health.  Perhaps Mr. Spencer was right when he wrote, “There is much to do, there’s work on every hand.  Hark!  The cry for help comes ringing through the land; Jesus calls for reapers, I must active be.  What wilt Thou (what do you want me to do), O Master?  Here am I, send me.”

So what does your schedule look like today?  What will you be doing when it comes to the kingdom?  Christians young and old will be faced with new opportunities today.  We must ask ourselves if we are willing to work and labor for our Lord only while it’s convenient, or if we’ll work till Jesus comes.  Many of our older brothers and sisters are weary and have spent their lives working in the service of the King.  THANK YOU for your example, but let me encourage you to keep on serving and remember your goal.

“O land of rest, for thee I sigh!  When will the moment come, when I shall lay my armor by and dwell in peace at home?  We’ll work till Jesus comes…and we’ll be gathered home.”

My life is much more than just getting up and going to work.  The student studies hard to ‘make the grade’, but how much time do we give in preparing ourselves for the FINAL?  Sitting back and expecting others to do the work God calls us to do is a dangerous option at best.
Would that each of us use our God-Given Talents…