KEY TEXT: Matthew 25:14-15 (KJV) – “14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.”
Let’s focus on the words ‘to another.’ This phrase means that we have all been gifted differently. No one in this world has nothing; likewise, no one has everything. The total number of talents given was eight. The master could have as well given those eight talents to only one of them and left the others with none, but he did not do that. Let’s look at another Bible extract that uses the phrase ‘to another. 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 (KJV) – “8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another, the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues.”
In 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, different gifts of the Spirit are listed, and everyone is given a different gift.
The question is, why have we been given different gifts? The answer lies in Matthew 25:15 – “To every man according to his several abilities.” The master knew the servants well and gifted them according to their abilities. Is God unfair when He gives people different abilities? No, He is not. He has given us different abilities so that we can complement each other and associate with one another.
The Bible says in Genesis 2:18 (KJV) – “It is not good that the man should be alone.” This means that it is not good for a person to lack social support. God wants us to socialize. God wants us to associate with one another. He commands us to rest on the Sabbath day together with all that are in our household, including all animals (Exodus 20:8-11). Thus, the Sabbath offers a tremendous social institution. God highly values the life of a human being. He expects us to love one another, as He loves us (John 13:34-35, John 15:12, 1 John 3:16-18, 1 John 4:11).
That is the same thing with God; He has given us different gifts. He has also given us different situations. Let us remember that the situation that He has currently put us in is the best situation. Some people have been gifted with the drive and energy to work hard. Others have been given great inborn talent in a certain course of pursuit. Others have been gifted with higher reasoning capabilities, others have been gifted with great knowledge, and others have been born into royal families or families that possess great wealth.
We have established that we have been gifted with several talents according to our different abilities. The question is, why have we been given these gifts? The answer lies in 1 Corinthians 12:7 (KJV) – “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.” We have been given the gifts we possess to bless others.
When we bless others, our lives in turn will be blessed. God is going to increase what we already have. A simple example is, when you share what you have studied from the Bible with someone, that person may in turn add more knowledge concerning what you have shared. Thus, your Biblical knowledge will be increased. God wants us to increase what we have.
How, then, do we increase what we have?
Do Everything to the Glory of God
1 Corinthians 10:31 (KJV) – “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
We do that by doing everything to the glory of God. Seek to glorify God in everything that you do.
The reason is that you don’t own yourself; God owns you (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). And how do you glorify God? You glorify God by avoiding sinful practices in your activities and carrying out Godly practices in everything you do. This is what the word ‘whatsoever’ means in the above verse. You must glorify God in your exams. Therefore, avoid cheating in all its forms, including helping others with answers.
You need to glorify God in your marriage, therefore, do not put your kids or your relatives above your spouse because the Bible says the two of you are one (Genesis 2:24, Ephesians 5:31). You should glorify God in your workplace, therefore, work as if God is seeing you and not your earthly master (Ephesians 6:5-7). You have your own company and have employed people; you need to treat those people in a way that glorifies God. And how do you do that? Ephesians 6:9 (KJV) – “And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.”
Do not exploit them by overworking them and underpaying them. Do not treat them unfairly. Do not look at them as employees. Look at them as potential candidates for the Kingdom of God. View your clients/customers the same way.
As you seek to glorify God, you must also seek to be a blessing to others, Philippians 2:3-4 (KJV) – “3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”
“There is nothing, save the selfish heart of man that lives unto itself. No bird that cleaves the air, no animal that moves upon the ground but ministers to some other life. There is no leaf of the forest or lowly blade of grass but has its ministry. Every tree and shrub and leaf pours forth that element of life without which neither man nor animal could live, and man and animal in turn minister to the life of tree and shrub and leaf. The flowers breathe fragrance and unfold their beauty in blessing to the world. The ocean, itself the source of all our springs and fountains, receives the streams from every land but takes to give. The mists ascending from its bosom fall in showers to water the earth, that it may bring forth and bud.” – The Desire of Ages pg. 20.2, Ellen G. White.
God did not create anything for itself. He devised everything to serve something else. If you look at the Ten Commandments, the first four is love for God, while the last six is your love for fellow men. No commandment attributes service to yourself.
Do Your Best
Ecclesiastes 9:10 (KJV) – “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.”
The verse says in whatever you do, do your best. If we combine 1 Corinthians 10:31 and Ecclesiastes 9:10, we get to understand that for you to do something to the glory of God, you need to do your best in what you are doing. If you do something in a mediocre way, you are harming yourself and misrepresenting God.
You have to do your best in all you do except sin because sin is not to the glory of God. Does that include washing dishes? Yes, it does. Does that include washing your house? Yes, it does. One of the reasons why people don’t do their best is because they despise the work they are doing. For example, “I’m just a lawnmower; I will start doing my best when I get an office job.” Or “I’m just a barber or a salonist; I will start doing my best when I own a barber shop or a beauty parlor.” Or “There is no need to dress properly now. I will dress well when I get a job or become a millionaire .”
The Bible gives you a valid reason why you must do your best, and the reason lies in the same verse, Ecclesiastes 9:10 – “For there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” This is a powerful reason. In other words, the Bible says that you must do your best while you are still alive.
Whatever your hand finds to do, as long as it is not sinning, do it in the best way possible, in a way that no one else can do. This principle is highly applicable in today’s world. If you do your best, it will be difficult to lose your job as it will be hard to find your replacement.
You have probably seen ladies who are very particular about their hair being done by a specific person. If they go to the salon and that person is not available, they will postpone doing their hair. The main reason is that the salonist is doing their best in making their hair. Men are also very loyal to their barbers. Now that we have learned how to increase what we already have, the question is, did the servants increase what their master gave them?
Let’s go back to the parable:
Matthew 25:16-18 (KJV) – “16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. 18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.”
We can see that the first two servants doubled their talents, and the last one did nothing with his talent. He went and buried it in the ground.
The reason why the one given one talent did nothing with it was due to the following reasons:
Fear
Matthew 25:24-25 (KJV) – “24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.”
The servant, who was given one talent, feared losing it. He thus went and hid it in the ground.
Fear, shyness, and all sorts of phobias are from the devil. When Adam and Eve were sinless, there was no fear. Fear came through sin. The devil uses fear to make you sin. The devil understands that your life is so precious to you, which is why he threatens your life, causing you to sin because you are frightened.
Job 2:3-4 (KJV) – “3And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. 4And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.”
Satan told God that Job would be ready to give anything if his life was threatened. He falsely thought that Job would lose his trust in God and disobey Him if Satan threatened his life. However, Job proved the devil wrong as he remained steadfast amidst his tough situations.
How, then, do we cast out fear?
John 4:18 (KJV) – “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”
Love is portrayed by obedience to God’s commands, all summarized in loving God and loving your neighbor. If you obey God 100%, you will have no room for fear. Obedience to God is proof that you believe in God. There is no way you can say you believe in God, yet you don’t do what He has told you to do. Many people think believing is just an emotion or mere words. Believing is living. Your lifestyle needs to reflect God.
Other verses about trusting in God:
Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV) – “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”
The problem is that we lean on our own understanding instead of applying faith. Again, another problem with us is we trust God half-heartedly while the Bible says we need to trust God whole-heartedly. Notice again that the above verse has reckoned us to acknowledge God in all we do, meaning nothing should be excluded.
Do you acknowledge God before you cook? Do you seek God before you buy clothes? Do you pray before you shower? Do you ask God for His guidance and protection before you hit the Gym? Do you ask God to guide you before you buy a new car? Do you dedicate yourself to God before you drive? Do you acknowledge God before you talk to a friend? Acknowledge God in all you do, and the results will be astounding.
Psalms 37:3 (KJV) – “Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.” When we trust in God, God assures us that He will feed us.
Psalms 56:4 (KJV) – “In God I will praise His word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.” When you trust God, you should not fear what another human being or animal can do to you because God is the Creator of all flesh and all creation.
Timothy 1:7 (KJV) – “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” A fearful mind is not a sound mind.
Joshua 1:9 (KJV) – “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” Always remember that as a child of God, the Lord is with you always.
Daniel, Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego were great because they did not fear losing their lives while being thrown in the Lion’s den or the fiery furnace. They chose to trust in God.
Don’t be comfortable in your fears. Seek God to eradicate your fears.
Other quotes about facing your fears:
“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
“Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.” – Yoda
“The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” – Nelson Mandela.
“The key to change… is to let go of fear.” – Roseanne Cash.
“Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold.” – Helen Keller.
“One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do.” – Henry Ford.
Despising the Little
The third servant despised that one talent. He went and buried the talent in the ground. Something that you bury is something dead, and something dead is something useless. He felt that the talent given to him was too little and nothing could be added to it.
Most of us despise the little that we have and wish that we would have more like our neighbors. We tend to think that if we had more, we would do more. Sometimes God tests you by giving you little, and if you prove faithful in the little He has given you, He will give you more. Luke 16:10 (KJV) – “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.”
If God cannot trust you with the least He has given you, how do you expect Him to trust you with more? If the bedsitter you live in is always untidy, how do you expect God to trust you with an 8-bedroom mansion? You never tithe your 200-dollar salary; why should God trust you with a 200,000-dollar salary?
You are the type of person who succumbs to peer pressure easily, always being led to sin through the influence of friends. How do you expect God to make you a multinational corporation leader if you can’t lead your friends? Jeremiah 12:5 (KJV) – “If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?”
When you trust in God and dedicate all you have to Him, He will multiply greatly the little you possess. David was a young shepherd with only a sling and a stone. On the other hand, Goliath was a mighty, gigantic, and experienced Philistine warrior fully armed with many soldiers behind him. David killed Goliath with the little he had and caused the whole Philistine army to flee (1 Samuel 17).
Jesus fed a multitude of five thousand people with two fish and five loaves of bread. Jesus fed everyone to their satisfaction, and twelve baskets of food remained (Matthew 14:13-21). Little is much when God is in it. Much is useless when God is not involved. Therefore, do not despise the little that you have.
You are in high school; are you despising the little pocket money your parents give you? Don’t look down on it because greatness can come out of it. You are earning a salary that you think is ‘too small and probably think there is nothing much you can do with it, dedicate that salary to God and ask Him to provide you with ideas on multiplying it. People say that they do not have enough capital to start a business yet have unknowingly wasted millions in the bar drinking alcohol.
Let’s look at other examples of how little turned out to be great:
Elijah
1 Kings 17:9-34, God commanded Elijah to visit a widow in Zarephath, and Elijah obeyed and visited her. Elijah told the widow to give him bread. Let’s see what the widow answered: 1 Kings 17:12 (KJV) – “And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”
The widow was telling Elijah that the bread they had was little and would be suitable for only one meal (have in mind there was drought and famine in the land). 1 Kings 17:13-16 (KJV) – “13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. 14 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth. 15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. 16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the Word of the Lord, which He spake by Elijah.”
We can see that after the widow obeyed God’s Word, which He had commanded her through Elijah, her house was filled with food, and they did not hunger all the forthcoming days.
Moses
Exodus 4:1-2 (KJV) – “1 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee. 2 And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.”
The only thing that Moses had in his hand was a rod and he was not aware of the wonders that God could do with that rod.
Let’s see what God did:
Exodus 4:3-4 (KJV) – “3 And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. 4 And the Lord said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand:”
God was able to turn out the rod into a snake. Notice the verse says that Moses fled from his rod which God had turned to a snake. You will be astonished of what God can do with the little that you have when you dedicate it to Him.
Let’s look at Moses again:
Exodus 4:10 (KJV) – “And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since Thou hast spoken unto Thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”
Moses underestimated his ability to speak. Let’s see what God told him:
Exodus 4:11-12 (KJV) – “11 And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.”
Are you disabled and thus despising yourself because of your disability? Don’t let that disability push you down. Trust in God, and He will lift you.
Let’s continue with the parable of the talents:
Matthew 25:19 (KJV) – “After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.”
Let’s examine the phrase after a long time. The master came after a long time, meaning he had given the servants enough time to multiply what they had. Jesus has also given us a long period of grace to repent and come to Him; therefore, we will have no excuse if we fail to do so.
Let us see what the Bible says about time; Ecclesiastes 9:11 (KJV) – “I returned and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.” Time and chance happened to the three servants. None could say that they did not have enough time or opportunity to do what they were supposed to do.
You are in school and have all the time to study from the first week of the semester; why wait till the last minute to study for your exam? The average man and the most successful man have two common factors: time and chance. Yes, some people may be more intelligent, but you do not need the highest level of intelligence to be where you want to be. You do not need the greatest level of talent to succeed. Ask God to show you how to use what you have and how to use your time wisely and effectively.
After the master returned, he did not ask them collectively what they had gathered. He asked them individually what they had gathered, one after the other (Matthew 25:20-24). God deals with us individually; God created Adam first, then caused Adam to sleep, then created Eve.
The last/tenth commandment commands us not to covet our neighbors’ property because God deals with us individually. Numerous people think Christianity can be inherited from their parents. They think that being born into a Christian family automatically makes them Christians. On the day of judgment, God will deal with you as an individual, not as a family or as a group of friends.
God is a God of justice and fairness; if the master came and asked them collectively what they had gathered, the servant with one talent would mix his talent with the others and ride on their success. What are you doing for your life? Are you waiting for your parents to die so you can inherit what they have left? Are you waiting for your brothers to succeed so you can borrow money? Are you basing your success merely on marrying a rich husband or wife? Are you the type who blames the government for your failure?
This is what he said to the first and second servants who multiplied what they had in verses 21 and 23 of Matthew 25:
“Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
The two servants proved faithful in small things; therefore, the master made them rulers in many things.
Let us see what the master told the one talented servant:
Matthew 25:26 (KJV) – “His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed.” This means that the servant knew what his master required of him. Most of us know what the Lord needs us to do, but we choose to disobey. Likewise, most of us know what we need for our lives to be successful, but we do not do that. We choose to do the opposite.
Matthew 25:27 (KJV) – “Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.” The master gave the servant the easiest solution that he could have done. The solution that we need for success is not hard. It is simple and right within our reach.
Matthew 25:28-29 (KJV) – “28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.”
“Nobody is so poor he has nothing to give, and nobody is so rich he has nothing to receive.” – Pope John Paul II.
The master gave the servants talent according to their abilities. In other words, he knew their abilities and had in mind what they were able to do with their various talents. If he gave the one-talent servant five talents, he would have done nothing with it; therefore, the profit would be zero. God blesses you according to your ability to handle that blessing.
Some people will marry many wives if God gives them a lot of money. Others will use their wealth to step on others, and God knows that. He blesses you according to your ability and does that out of love. God may not have given you great wealth because He does not want you to die from HIV/AIDS or other Sexually Transmitted Diseases. He may be waiting for you to change your ways first before He blesses you.
God may be waiting for you to have a spirit of humility and submission before He gives you a husband because He does not want that house to crumble. Whatever situation God has put you in is purely out of love. God loves you more than your parents love you; He loves you more than you love yourself. That is why sinners will not enter heaven, because they will be very uncomfortable in that environment, and God, in his mercy, cannot allow that.
Wishing you great SUCCESS as you read this article!!!!
MAY GOD MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL!
GOD BLESS YOU!
Prayer
Lord, thank You for the gifts You have placed in my hands. Help me to use them boldly, faithfully, and with excellence. Let all I do be for Your glory. Teach me not to fear small beginnings or hide what You’ve given me, but to multiply it through faith and diligence. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Activity
- Write down the talents or gifts that you know you have (e.g., drawing, speaking, organizing, encouraging others).
- Set one small action you can do today to grow or use your talent for God’s glory.
- Examples:
- Draw a scripture-based art piece and share it online.
- Encourage someone who’s down with a kind message.
- Organize a space and thank God while doing it.
- Examples:
- Pray over that action and do it without fear, even if it seems small.
Author: Mark Alex
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