I had always thought that we all received the same amount of talents; that the difference in yielded fruit was dependent on what each one of us did with those talents, whether we were good or bad stewards of these talents. In fact, I had been struggling with feelings of inadequacy and failure for not having the same fruit as my other brothers and sisters were having. My conclusion was that I wasn't doing enough, or not speaking enough, or not engaging enough, or not charismatic enough. And though I would purpose in my mind to try to do or be those things, I felt like a hypocrite, like trying to be someone I wasn't. But surely this was ok, because I was doing it in service of the Kingdom, right?
It was then that the Holy Spirit spoke to me. He brought up this passage (Matthew 25:14-30) into my heart and started to explain and teach me (just like the Lord Jesus said He would before ascending to the Father). "And to one he gave five (5) talents, to another two (2), and to another one (1), TO EACH ACCORDING TO HIS OWN ABILITY."
He taught me two important truths from this verse:
1. each servant received a different amount of talents; they did not all receive the same amount.
2. the amount was determined by the ability of each servant.
How could I expect to accomplish the tasks set out by someone who had five talents when I don't have the same number of talents? How could I attempt to act like someone who had received five talents, when I did not possess the same abilities? What I learned was that I ought not to act as if I possessed certain abilities, when in reality I did not. I was created with specific and certain abilities, and my energies and thoughts ought to be focused on investing the talents given to me to the best of MY abilities, not the abilities of other brothers and sisters.
When He opened my eyes to this and put it into perspective with my walk, it felt as if a thick, musty, and heavy fog had suddenly disappeared. Now I could breath deeply. Now the air wasn't stagnant. Now I could see the lane in which I was to run my race. And this makes all the difference. Knowing what He expects of me and that He has created me with certain abilities that are specific to me. I don't need to be like someone else, behave like someone else, in order to increase the yield of the talents given to me; I just need to be whom He created me to be, because He knows what He is doing.
What I need to pray, and will pray, is that the Lord help me clearly identify my abilities and the number of talents He has given to me so that I be a good steward of that which I possess. And, importantly, to not look at the talents and abilities of fellow brothers and sisters as a benchmark because we were all created with different abilities and given a different number of talents; by design, we will not look the same because we are UNIQUE.
It was then that the Holy Spirit spoke to me. He brought up this passage (Matthew 25:14-30) into my heart and started to explain and teach me (just like the Lord Jesus said He would before ascending to the Father). "And to one he gave five (5) talents, to another two (2), and to another one (1), TO EACH ACCORDING TO HIS OWN ABILITY."
He taught me two important truths from this verse:
1. each servant received a different amount of talents; they did not all receive the same amount.
2. the amount was determined by the ability of each servant.
How could I expect to accomplish the tasks set out by someone who had five talents when I don't have the same number of talents? How could I attempt to act like someone who had received five talents, when I did not possess the same abilities? What I learned was that I ought not to act as if I possessed certain abilities, when in reality I did not. I was created with specific and certain abilities, and my energies and thoughts ought to be focused on investing the talents given to me to the best of MY abilities, not the abilities of other brothers and sisters.
When He opened my eyes to this and put it into perspective with my walk, it felt as if a thick, musty, and heavy fog had suddenly disappeared. Now I could breath deeply. Now the air wasn't stagnant. Now I could see the lane in which I was to run my race. And this makes all the difference. Knowing what He expects of me and that He has created me with certain abilities that are specific to me. I don't need to be like someone else, behave like someone else, in order to increase the yield of the talents given to me; I just need to be whom He created me to be, because He knows what He is doing.
What I need to pray, and will pray, is that the Lord help me clearly identify my abilities and the number of talents He has given to me so that I be a good steward of that which I possess. And, importantly, to not look at the talents and abilities of fellow brothers and sisters as a benchmark because we were all created with different abilities and given a different number of talents; by design, we will not look the same because we are UNIQUE.
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