A friend of mine was complaining to me the other day about not having any talent. She thought of herself as a stupid, ugly, fat loser, with nothing to offer the world, nothing to offer God. But that's not what I see in her. I see someone who is a brilliant photographer, gifted poet, and beautiful person. It's true that she doesn't have the top grades in her class; but she has been gifted with other talents and abilities, things that people like myself could only dream about.
Somehow, our society has convinced us that if we don't have a certain set of talents, then we don't have any talent at all. If we don't get good grades, aren't considered beautiful by the standards of the world, and would rather spend Friday night with a book than with a boyfriend, then there is something wrong with us, we are not capable of contributing to God's kingdom as equally as others may be.
What's wrong with that picture? Well, the easy answer is that it's just plain not true. God is the one who has given us our talents, skills, attributes, and passions. How could we say that we serve a just God, if He punishes us for what He has given us - or a lack thereof?
No, lack of talent doesn't displease God. In fact, the truth is that no one has a complete lack of talent - we have all been given gifts, something with which we can serve the Master and bring glory to His kingdom. So what is it that God truly dislikes? He dislikes laziness. He dislikes a fear of failing which cripples activity. He dislikes blaming our failures on the fact that we were not given enough to start with. "For to everyone who has, more shall be given," He says in His word. We have all been given a gift. It is our choice to decide what we will do with it. We can choose to use it, to further His kingdom...or we can choose to squander it, to complain about what we don't have instead of being grateful for what we do have.
In the end, lack of talent isn't what displeases God. It's a lack of action with the talent that you do have that truly saddens Him.
Somehow, our society has convinced us that if we don't have a certain set of talents, then we don't have any talent at all. If we don't get good grades, aren't considered beautiful by the standards of the world, and would rather spend Friday night with a book than with a boyfriend, then there is something wrong with us, we are not capable of contributing to God's kingdom as equally as others may be.
What's wrong with that picture? Well, the easy answer is that it's just plain not true. God is the one who has given us our talents, skills, attributes, and passions. How could we say that we serve a just God, if He punishes us for what He has given us - or a lack thereof?
No, lack of talent doesn't displease God. In fact, the truth is that no one has a complete lack of talent - we have all been given gifts, something with which we can serve the Master and bring glory to His kingdom. So what is it that God truly dislikes? He dislikes laziness. He dislikes a fear of failing which cripples activity. He dislikes blaming our failures on the fact that we were not given enough to start with. "For to everyone who has, more shall be given," He says in His word. We have all been given a gift. It is our choice to decide what we will do with it. We can choose to use it, to further His kingdom...or we can choose to squander it, to complain about what we don't have instead of being grateful for what we do have.
In the end, lack of talent isn't what displeases God. It's a lack of action with the talent that you do have that truly saddens Him.
Matthew 25:14-30
14 “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 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. 16 Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17 In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more.18 But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 “Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 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.’ 21His 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.’
22 “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.’ 23 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.’
24 “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. 25 And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’
26 “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. 27 Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. 28 Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’
29 “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. 30 Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
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