You’ve Got TalentSýnishorn

God entrusts us with time, talents and treasures

Jesus is hanging out with his disciples at the Mount of Olives when they ask the Son of God about the end of the age. 

Jesus responds to his curious core team with a series of stories, one of which is the Parable of the Talents. The story revolves around the master of a house who is headed out on a long trip. Before he leaves, the master calls three of his servants and the narrative says that he “entrusted his property to them.” 

To the first servant the master gives five talents of money, to the second servant he gives two talents, and to the third servant he gives one talent. (Quick note: A “talent”is a weight or measure of money.)

Now, here’s the mind-blowing part: each talent in the parable was worth an incredible amount of money. If you had a talent or two today, you could most likely invest in a couple of houses on a swanky golf course with a view of a lake and the golden sunset.

Essentially, by giving them the talents, the master is trusting these guys—all three of them—with a substantial investment. 

Today, I’d like us to consider this simple yet significant truth: the master gives the servants the talents. It wasn’t the servants’ idea. It wasn’t their initiative. It wasn’t their ingenuity. They didn’t earn the talents, nor did they deserve the talents. The master gave his property to them so they could, in turn, steward or manage the talents.

Let’s begin today by acknowledging that just like the master gave his servants the talents, God is the author of our every resource, our every skill, and our every ability. That brings us to the first “E” of this Bible Plan: God ENTRUSTS us with time, talents, and treasures. 

As it says in James 1, every good and perfect gift comes from the Father. His gifts to you are custom designed. They are hand-picked and specially assigned to you. He entrusts you with precious gifts. Let’s turn that back to thanksgiving and praise. Let’s live up to that trust by responsibly stewarding the resources He gives us.

Bring it Home

Do we sometimes forget to acknowledge that every single good gift comes from God? Does that disregard cause us to discount the gift? Do we take the time to thank God for His gifts, especially those talents and treasures we tend to take for granted?

Lean In

Father, I want to acknowledge that You and You alone have authored every talent and resource and gift in my life. I give You all the glory and honor. I am truly humbled that You entrust me with talents that I can steward for Your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.