Are you burying your talent?

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"And to one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one, went and dug in the ground and hid his lord's money."                              Matthew 25:15-18.  NKJV

A talent was not an ability (though this parable has application to our abilities), but a unit of money worth at least $1,200 in modern terms, and likely much more. “The talent was not a coin, it was a weight; and therefore its value obviously depended on whether the coinage involved was copper, gold, or silver.” (Barclay)

Although this parable refers to money and the looking after and investing of it, I would like us to look at the talent that we are more familiar with - our gifting and talents. The two have quite close similarities.

God gives each one of us talents to use. Now for some, these may be the gift of making money or becoming and accomplished artist, photographer, singer, musician or actor. Just to name a few. Many people flourish in this gifting and become very popular and even wealthy. They discover that they have  a particular talent and go to full lengths to make this happen. Universities, colleges and other training complexes are full of these type of people. The ones who recognise their talents and are determined to bring it about. 
I was listening to an album the other day and the singer and composer of the song - Randy Edelmann, sang: 'While the other boys were out playing with their footballs, I was home banging on the keys; but it took me right where I am, this is me, playing the piano.' (Copyright Randy Edlemann.) Basically, what he was saying was that he knew he would be a popular singer, writer and musician and therefore, instead of going out all the time with his friends, he practised until he was good enough to be a star. That is using the talent that we are given.

Others may be like the person in our text, who was very cautious with what he had been given and instead of biting the bullet like the others, and investing it, buried it in the ground and just left it there. What are your talents? We have a natural flair for something but do we use it. Many people sing on Karaoke nights and are very good, but that's as far as it goes. they do no more. Many people have been given breaks in life but have decided against going ahead with the chance that has been offered. Others know what they want and are the ones that we see in the media or in the local news, prospering in some business or other. Many others talk about using their talent, but that is all they do, talk about it.

Again I ask, what are your talents? Are you using them or have you buried them for some reason or another? God gave you this talent and will open the door for you to be successful with it, whatever the talent may be. Don't look back on your life when you're elderly and be sorry, wishing you had done what you know you should have. It'll be too late then. Many elderly people look back on their lives with regret, thinking, 'If only I'd have done that.' We all have talents and probably we all tend to bury them at times. But you, know that there is this burning passion within you to do something. You know what this is, but how? Give it to God, He is great at opening doors.

Don't join the many people who look back with regret. Do it now!

Copyright 2019 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com