What Have You Been Given?

Today I want to talk to you about the Parable in Matthew 25.  Jesus is referring to the kingdom of God in this parable and the talents are actually money. It talks about a man going on a far journey and he calls together his servants and delivers his goods to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, dividing it in proportion to their abilities; and immediately he went on a journey.

While he is gone we see that two invested the talents they had been given and the other one was afraid that he would he would lose his talents so he buried them in the ground.

This past Sunday, during worship, the Lord began to speak to me about who He has called me to be and the things He has called me to do…and that He has given me all that I need to do what He has called me to…but I am not doing it. He began to show me a vision of me stepping into these things. I could see me teaching/preaching. I could see me writing. I could see me singing. (I have always known I was supposed to sing, but have always been afraid because of a lie that was rooted in me when I was a little girl.) While He was showing me these things, He began to speak to me about the Parable in Matthew. He began to show me that I was the man who buried his master’s talent. He also showed me there are many others who have buried their talents.

Why did the servant bury his talent? BECAUSE HE WAS AFRAID!!! Sound familiar? Why do we bury our talents? Whatever our talents may be? Why do we keep them hidden instead of using (investing) them? I would venture out on a very thin limb here and say that most talents are buried and hidden because there is some sort of fear that rears it’s ugly head each time you get close to investing it.

I know for me personally, it has been fear! Fear of rejection, fear of being made fun of, fear of not being good enough, smart enough, talented enough, fear of being judged, etc. You see, when I was a little girl, the enemy was able to get in and suggest a lie that I believed and therefore it was able to be rooted and produce fruit…ungodly fruit…fruit that would hold me back from being who God created and called me to be.

I’ll give you an example that God showed me on Sunday. I have always loved music. I used to play the piano by ear and I loved to sing. My Mom, her brothers, and some friends had a band and they would have practice in the basement at our home. I remember one night when they were having practice and I was downstairs watching. I was between the ages of seven and nine years old and I always wanted to sing…especially on their stage. They would let me sometimes while they were practicing, but this night they were taking a break and were all standing around talking so I got up on the stage and began to sing into one of the microphones. Almost immediately after I began to sing, they started laughing. I got down off the stage and went upstairs. I don’t remember if it was ever discussed or not, but from that day forward I believed that I couldn’t sing. Now, I don’t know what they were laughing at, it could have been anything, but to this little girl…they were laughing at me and my singing and that meant I should never sing again!

Stupid Enemy!!!He will do whatever He can do to rob us of our true identity and calling!!!

Sunday morning, I stood before the church and shared what the Lord had spoken to me and shone me and I declared right there that I am called to sing and that I will sing and I will sing with Zach, my son, who is also a worship leader!!! Not that I will always sing with Zach, but I will at least once sing with him. What a blessing that will be!!!

So today I ask you…what talents and gifts have you been given that you have kept hidden and buried deep inside? What lie have you believed that has caused you to fear stepping out and investing what the Lord has given you?

You see, if we read on in the parable we will see that the Master never asked how the other two servants had invested their talents…He just said, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!”

But to the one who had hidden the talent, he said, “You wicked and lazy servant! …Why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it! Then he ordered for the talent to be taken away and given to the one with ten talents. To those who use well what they are given even more will be given and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away…”

God knows who you are!!! He knows who He has created and called you to be. He has given to you what you need to step out and do what He is calling you to do. Don’t be afraid. Ask God to reveal to you what lie you are believing that is holding you back from investing what He has given you. You will see that as you begin to step out and use (invest) what He has given you…it will increase. God is a God of increase. To him who is faithful with little…he will be given much!

He’s not asking you to look like someone else, speak like someone else, pray like someone else, give like someone else…no, we are all different. We each have our own calling and giftings…we are each a different puzzle piece, but we fit into the same puzzle.

Today I encourage you to step out and be faithful with what you have been given and trust God to multiply what you have!

Romans 12:6-8 tells us that God, in His grace, has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So whatever the gift is that He has given you (according to your ability) do it well and do it unto God!!

INVEST, INVEST, INVEST!!! GOD IS FAITHFUL TO MULTIPLY ALL THAT YOU HAVE IF YOU ARE FAITHFUL WITH WHAT HE GIVES YOU. THERE IS SOMEONE OUT THERE TODAY THAT IS WAITING ON YOU TO INVEST EXACTLY WHERE THEY HAVE A NEED!