Matthew 25:14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability" ... 16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
This parable of the faithful steward demonstrates a few precious lessons in the temporal and spiritual realms that should be understood and adopted by every true follower of Christ, and also by those who have not embraced Christianity. In the parable, the master called his servants and delivered to them his goods, the Master being God, His servants being the human agent, and the "Goods" referring to the many temporal and spiritual advantages the Lord has bestowed on all men. The lessons in the parable do not only apply to all Christians, but instead has relevance to all members of the human family, since all have been blessed with gifts of some kind, by the beneficent God of heaven. Let's read:
Psalms 68:18 Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them. 19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.
The Master does not give to anyone gifts they cannot handle or manage in a productive manner, for the grace of Christ is made available to all who will ask. The faithful steward is said to have taken the goods lent to him by God, and multiplied them, so that he ended up with ten. This lesson is of critical importance for us to understand, for God does not give us gifts merely to preserve or manage properly, He also expects additional returns on His investments, and therefore the human agent is under sacred obligation to petition God for wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, so that the gifts and talents loaned to us, may be multiplied to the maximum of our several ability.
In other words, if a person is given the gift of singing, they should not be satisfied with just being an excellent singer, but should rather "Add" to that gift by seeking to become a producer, a song writer, to own a studio, to do jingles or advertisements, to give classes in singing, to do world tours and concerts, and to sing in God's courts for various church services. In addition, to these possibilities, God expects them to manage the monetary proceeds in a fiscally responsible manner so that they become wealthy, and thus be able to give many charitable donations to the less fortunate and to the cause of Christ. All of these expectations can be realized from just one single talent.
A misunderstanding of this sacred truth has led many people to hide their God-given talents under a bushel, being afraid or too indolent to expand their horizons, and living their entire lives in a restricted prism of temporal and spiritual achievement. The results of such an attitude are made manifest in many churches today, as it is found to be the case that only a certain number of people within the brotherhood of believers seem to carry all the weight and responsibilities, while the others calmly wait to be served.
But God will have us to understand that we will be called to account for every talent and gift given to us, and our eternal destiny actually depends upon the judicious use of every advantage granted, both materially and spiritually. This sacred and solemn truth can be deduced in the latter experience of the servant who was given one talent, but who was only satisfied with preserving it. God does not want us to merely preserve what He has given us, He expects us to add and to multiply, according to the grace and power accorded us. Let's read:
Matthew 25:29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
In our day, and in our own experiences, we should always be seeking for way and means whereby we can add to what God has lent us, and if for any reason we might not have realized that we were given talents by God, we should then pray to Him so that our abilities may be made known to us. In addition to this, we should be humble enough to ask God for wisdom to execute and develop our talents in a timely and efficient manner, so that our lives would be a glory and honor to Christ, and a benefit to those with whom we come in contact from day to day. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which confirms to us a sacred promise of wisdom to do the best in every line. Let's read:
James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering" .....
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!