Thursday, August 6
Read the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30. What is the most significant thought that stands out to you in this story? Why were the first two servants commended by God and the last servant condemned? What does this parable tell us about the use of our talents? Particularly notice Matthew 25:29.
The master gave to each servant talents “according to his several ability” (Matthew 25:15). Each individual received a different amount. One received five talents, another two, and another one. Each servant had a choice of how to invest or use the talents that they were given. A crucial point here is that what they were given wasn’t their own. It belonged to someone else who gave them charge over it.
The concern of the master was not who had superior or who had inferior talents. It was not how many talents each was given. The concern was what each one did with what he had been given.
Paul puts it this way in 2 Corinthians 8:12, “For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.”. For God, what matters isn’t so much what you have, but rather, what you do with what you have.
God commended the first two servants because they were faithful in using their talents. Their talents increased with use. The “wicked” servant did not use the talent the master had given him, and it did not increase. It is an eternal truth that “The law of service becomes the connecting link which binds us to God and to our fellow men” (Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 326). The unfaithful servant squandered his opportunity to serve and ultimately lost the ability to serve.
When we use the gifts that God has given us for the glory of His name, they will increase, expand, and grow. How can you discover the gifts God has given you? Humbly ask God to reveal to you the areas He desires you to serve in for ministry. As He impresses you, get involved. Your gifts will grow as you use them, and you will find satisfaction in His service.
Think about this parable and apply it to your own life. What, if anything, does it say to you about what you are doing with what you have been given by God? (Remember, anything that you have is a gift from God, too).
