Talent

Thursday, June 8, 2017

Talent

Matthew 25:20-21

²⁰ “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ ²¹ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’”

Acts 20:24

But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

Revelation 2:26-28

The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star.

Revelation 3:21

The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.

Hebrews 12:2

…looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

John 12:26

If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

Devotional:

So here we are again. We are at a place where God is nudging me to open up more, to be more vulnerable. To share my tender places, and to connect to others with the things about myself that I don’t love. As I open my heart to you today, I trust that He will do His work through these words.

Talents. This is a strong theme in my life. As I have mentioned, I come from a home that broke apart when I was 17 years old. My mother struggled with mental illness. My father struggled with alcohol in the early years, but upon stopping when I was 8 never worked out the underlying pain of his own hurts in any kind of recovery setting. After a traumatic spine injury when I was 12, he became addicted to prescription medications and completed his life in this state. I struggled throughout my childhood and into adulthood with worth, identity, and in particular rejection and abandonment.

In high school, I discovered that I had talent. I had always loved to sing, and my family are natural musicians and singers, but I was not aware that I had a particular talent until I entered high school. I was celebrated, won many competitions, and began to grasp at those accolades with the hands of the desperate. When I was given constructive criticism or was not the best, I was shaken at my core because I found my worth there.

In Bible school, I was required to lay my talent down for a season. God used that time to pull me away from finding my worth in music and singing. I did not understand it at the time, but He wanted me to see that first, musical talent was not my identity or my worth. Second, and definitely more important, the purpose of all talent is to draw others to Him.

We live in a world that worships “talent”. Music, sports, personality: All these “talents” receive praise and worship far beyond the praise and worship we give our Father. However, I have over the years begun to truly understand the emptiness of all this. Yes, I can sing. But in reality, because I was so enamored by this “talent,” I buried all the other talents that God blessed me at. Moreover, I did not develop the other gifts He gave me: encouragement, writing, creating beauty in my home, and the list continues to grow as I get to know myself in Him. All this is because I was so caught up in my singing “talent” that I did not value these other precious gifts that can so enrich the Body of Christ and draw others to Him.

Though not everyone has musical talent, I do believe that we have a tendency to exalt music and other overt artistic and athletic talents above the important gifts God gave us.

Organizing.

Serving others.

Loving and encouraging children.

Building things.

Solving problems.

Bringing people together.

Making friends.

Cleaning.

Listening.

Offering wisdom.

What is your list? What do you do well? There are so many things that God has planted in us. We can use them to touch others and to glorify him. Our children also need us to help pray for them and help to draw out the gifts they were given to the glory of God. If their talent is obvious, also spend time focusing with them on what other gifts are valuable. Are they kind and able to connect with others? Do they have a generous heart? They need to hear from us that these traits are even more valuable than any performance.

Prayer:

Father, thank You that You have instilled gifts into me and into my child(ren). I ask that You will guide us into using our talents to glorify You. Let our home ooze with blessings for others and draw others to You. Let us not hold back with what You have given us. Let us not strive to be something that we are not.

Intercession:

I lift up my child(ren) to You today. I ask that Your identity would be their aim and goal. I ask for wisdom in how I can help to instill that into them today.

I also lift up (name specific request, spend time seeking the Lord. Pray through the concern).

In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.