“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man travelling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.” Matthew 25:14 NKJV
The parable of the talents has always been a reference point for me since I understood that I had been blessed with gifts and that it was my responsibility to use them.
When I got saved in 2010, I was extra determined to use up any gifts I could lay my hands on. Everything was an opportunity to express my Godlikeness. Then I realised that I couldn’t use it all up because more was being added to me.
The more I expressed those gifts, the more I became empowered. And this made one thing clear: God is interested in maximising the resources He has given us. Waste is not on His agenda.
As a writer, I co-authored a book, contributed articles to a bulletin, and published regularly on a personal blog. Writing was the first gift that was delivered to me.
As time passed, I realised that more resources were handed over to me. This meant more responsibility because I had to use them. And I still use them.
How can we work with the consciousness that we must use our gifts?
The anchor scripture shows two vital facts that we must first understand:
- God has called us.
We have overcomplicated the word “calling” to mean something grand, such that you only receive it when you enter the highest heavens.
No. Each of us has a calling in our lives. How do I know? When the master was about to travel, who did he call?
His own servants. He didn’t call the servants of his neighbour or friend. He called those in his house.
Why did he call them? Because they were his servants. They served him.
Their identity was the only basis on which the master needed to call them, not their ordination status. As we will learn from other articles in the series, their good works weren’t also a reason; otherwise, the servant with one talent wouldn’t have been called.
The moment you receive the gift of salvation and identify as a son of God, you have been called to something greater.
- God has blessed you with gifts.
When you read the anchor scripture slowly, you’ll realise that the talents did not belong to the servants. Instead, the master delivered those talents to them.
What does this mean?
Whatever gifts we have are from God. They’re His, not ours. We have them because God has delivered them to us.
We also have these gifts because we were first called. These “goods” are the resources needed to fulfil the reason for our calling.
If the master delivered those goods to the servants for no reason, they were free to use them to fulfil their servant desires.
But he first called them, then gave them resources. This means they’re meant to fulfil a higher purpose. They’re to be used to serve the One who gave us an identity. The calling preceded the gifts.
“I choose to serve with the gifts I have received.”
In the next part of this series, we’ll understand why the relationship between ability and what you have received is so important.
Today, remind yourself that you have a calling and have been empowered for it.
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