How much value do you place on the talents God has given you? Their real value might surprise you.
Paul compares the body of Christians to the human body. Like the various parts of the body, each of us must coexist and work together, but none of us are exactly alike. Nor should we try to be.
How different from society’s message that we must all wear the same styles, have the same goals and do things the same way. When God created us, he crafted us uniquely, gifting us with various body types, personalities and talents. God’s work is bigger than any one “type” could perform. It takes all of us, using our talents for God’s glory, to complete the work He wants done here on earth.
The Parable of the Talents is a story about three men, each with a different set of talents and each using his gifts differently. This parable is important because it helps us understand what God values. We tend to read the story with our modern understanding of the word talent, and Jesus probably intended it that way. But regardless of whether we talk about money or gift mixes, the message is the same.
In the parable, talents refer to a unit of currency roughly equal to a man’s weight. While it’s impossible to calculate its value exactly, we know it was a large unit. One gold talent was a man’s weight in gold and in today’s dollars might be worth $800,000. So when the master entrusted his property to his servants, he was giving them a huge sum of money to manage. Probably the master thought carefully about who should receive this responsibility and how much each of them could manage. We see from the story he chose three men. To one, he gave five talents; to another, two; and to a third, one.
When the master returned from his journey, he asked for an account from each of his trustees. The first two men doubled the funds they were entrusted with. The last man buried his (which means with inflation, the funds actually lost value). Needless to say, the master was pleased with the first two men but furious with the third.
Talents are distributed unevenly
God doesn’t have to be fair by our standards. We may never know how God calculates who should be given what in the talent pool. Some people appear to have no end of talents, while others seem only to have one or two.
But we are all made for a different purpose. “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). One of us may be a voice, while another is a hand. One is physically strong, while another is kind-hearted and merciful.
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God’s work is a big job, and we were created for the bit of it God thought we could manage. We should never be jealous of others’ giftings. In fact, we shouldn’t worry at all about other peoples’ giftings, except to glorify God at his creativity.
God rewards us for doing our best with what we were given
Notice that the man with two talents received the same commendation as the man with five talents. God knows our abilities and life situations are different. He never holds us accountable for something we honestly can’t do. All he asks is that we give him our best.
All too often, we beat ourselves up over our inability to meet some standard of perfection we have in our heads. Yet all God wants from us is to honor him with our actions, words and attitudes. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-24).
When we use our gifts for God’s glory, he is pleased. But when we bury our talents or use them for evil, he is angered. Again, we don’t need to compare ourselves to others. If we must compare, we should measure ourselves against God’s purpose for our lives.
Our talents are valuable
Have you ever noticed that when you are operating in your calling, it doesn’t feel like work? God gives us talents so we can use them for his glory. He gives us joy in our talents because he wants us to enjoy working for him. But part of learning to use and enjoy our talents is learning the real value of those talents.
In Jesus’ parable, a talent was worth approximately $800,000. And since Jesus intended us to read a talent as a gifting, God obviously places a huge value on our talents. So should we.
Your gift may be an ability to make people smile. That’s a wonderful gift. And yes, it does further God’s kingdom. He commands us to be joyful: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). Or you may be one who likes working behind the scenes, seeing a need and filling it. Your ability to work humbly is a huge gift.
We tend to value things that look big and important. But God scolded Samuel for judging by appearances: “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).
And he tells us in 1 Corinthians 1:27, he prefers to use things we consider insignificant. “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.”
If God has chosen to give us a talent, he obviously values it. We should honor him by developing that talent and using it for his glory.
Talents were meant to be used
Sometimes talents are obvious. Sometimes we know what our talents are, but we can’t figure out how to use them for God’s glory. Don’t worry too much about it. When you use your talents, use them as if for God, not man. That’s the easiest way to glorify God with your talents. Then, as God sees your abilities increasing, he may place opportunities in your path. Seize them. God may be leading you deeper into his purpose for your life.
Just remember:
• You will enjoy using your gifts. But you were given those gifts for God’s glory, not your own. Be careful not to become prideful. Stay humble and you will stay usable.
• Never devalue your gifts by comparing them to others’. God has a unique purpose for you. Enjoy the differences.
Discussion questions
• What do you think God’s purpose for your life is?
• Where do you think God intends for you to use your gifts? Can he be glorified only if you use them in the church?
• What if it doesn’t feel like you are using your gifts for God?
• Can we really stay humble as our talents develop? How?
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