Jesus tells the story of a man who went away on a long journey but distributed talents to three of his servants before leaving. Each received according to their abilities. He told them to take those talents and use them to bring increase to his kingdom. On his return, he found that two of his servants had used their talents to bring great increase while the last servant, because of fear, hid his talent. The man was delighted with the two who had used their talents to bring increase but was extremely disappointed in the one who did not. Using the gifts and talents the Lord has given to each of us is an expectation we cannot ignore.
When I was a young Christian, I shared my desire to serve the Lord with a pastor I knew. I do not remember the fullness of his response, but one thing he said formed a stronghold in my life. He said that I was self-willed and that God could not use me until I dealt with it. That statement became a stain on my soul and caused me to question every desire I had to serve the Lord. This stronghold prevailed for many years. It also destroyed my confidence to hear and respond to God. Of course, I would help out when asked by leaders of my church, but I would not take any initiative to pursue the desires I had to use my gifts for the Lord. I was operating in fear the same way that the servant hid his talent. Thankfully, the Spirit of God is bringing healing and freedom to this area of my life. I can now serve the Lord using my gifts and talents with complete freedom.
Perhaps you have been struggling to serve the Lord with your gifts and talents. Maybe you have been fearful of stepping out and trusting the Lord. Now is the time. Get some wise spiritual counsel, then step out in faith.
Maybe you think you or your gifts and talents are insignificant. Nothing is insignificant in the hands of the Lord. Just say yes to God and step out in faith. He can increase that which is small and make it more than enough to meet the need.
It is time to step up and be used by God. Nothing you do is unimportant. 1 Corinthians 15:58 in the New Living Translation says, “So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.”
We need all hands on deck. The world is morally disintegrating around us, and people are dying every minute and awakening in hell. The return of the Lord is imminent, and we have work to do. We need to stop hiding our talents. It’s time to work for the Lord. The time to arise is now.
