I’ve long been convinced that every person has a talent; every person has a gift that they can use for God. It might be an ability to do only one thing for one person or you might be able to do a lot of good things for a lot of people. It may be the ability to serve and please God in a personal way, but everyone has something.

I have also been long convinced that the greatest problem people have in using there talents is just doing it. If we have a problem it is the fact that you need to make your life accessible to God to use whatever you have.

I read about a man who applied for a job as a handyman. The prospective employer asked, “Can you do carpentry?” The man answered in the negative.” How about bricklaying?” Again the man answered, “No.” The employer asked, “Well, what about electrical work?” The man said “No, I don’t know anything about that either.”

Finally the employer said, “Well, tell me then what is handy about you.” The man replied, “I live just around the corner.”

Sometimes the greatest ability we can have is availability. To be where God can call us, and be ready to respond to his summons. That is the greatest asset a disciple of Christ can have.

In Matthew 25:14-30 Jesus tells a story about a master giving three servants different amounts of money to manage for him

The first two did alright; they used the money (called Talents) wisely. The third man didn’t use it wisely, but buried it so it wouldn’t be stolen. Jesus concludes the story with these words:

(And the third servant said) “I was in fear, and went away, and buried your money in the ground: here is what is yours. But his lord in answer said to him, You are a bad and unready servant; if you had knowledge that I get in grain where I did not put seed, and make profits for which I have done no work, Why, then, did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I would have got back what is mine with interest? Take away, then, his talent and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have more: but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And put out the servant who is of no profit into the outer dark: there will be weeping and cries of sorrow.” (Matthew 25:25-30).

What’s the moral of the story? God expects us to use what He gives us wisely and help increase the blessings to the kingdom. How handy are you at doing that?

Shared with you by Russ Lawson