Use Your Talents
Read the Text: Matthew 25
Memorize the Text: He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command.” (Matthew 22:37)
Consider the Text: Matthew 25:14-30
Jesus taught his disciples concerning stewardship using a parable concerning three servants who received differing amounts of talents in Matthew 25. Though Jesus used financial means as an example, true stewardship centers on our total submission to God in all areas of life. We need to understand the importance of stewardship to grow in our relationship with the Lord and to mature as a follower of Christ.
The parable informs us of the truth concerning OBEDIENT STEWARDSHIP. Faithful obedience in stewardship begins with realizing and believing that God is the giver of all. He is the giver of all because he is the Creator of all and is the one alone who can give. The prophet Haggai wrote," 'The silver and gold belong to me' – this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies." (Haggai 2:8, CSB). In the parable, the Master is God wh,o is a generous and great giver. The Master entrusted each servant with several talents to be used for the glory and work of the Master. The servants did not earn this gifting, but the Lord generously gave it. As a result, each servant was responsible for using the gift in obedience.
You and I receive gifts from the Lord that come with the expectation to use as faithful stewards. We are responsible for using each of these talents and practicing TOTAL STEWARDSHIP. We carry out total stewardship when we give the Lord our TIME. God blesses us with life, and how we occupy our time reflects on what we love most. Therefore, we should seek to find avenues to serve the Lord with our time and serve His kingdom. At the same time, we receive gifting from the Holy Spirit and thus have TALENTS. These talents appear in our abilities, giftedness, experiences, and skills. When not focused on the Lord, these could be used to gain personal attention or glory instead of putting them to service for bringing glory to the Lord. Finally, we are called to the stewardship of our TREASURE. The treasure is our wealth and money that we often hold dear. The Lord commands our giving and faithfulness in this area. Thus, we receive a call to total stewardship.
Jesus used the parable to identify the PURPOSE OF STEWARDSHIP. Stewardship exists for the increase of the Master's kingdom. We steward what the Lord has given at a base level to spread the gospel, expand the kingdom, and grow disciples. It centers on faithfulness to the Lord and carrying out the work of God's kingdom. At the same time, God called us to stewardship to serve the body of Christ. We serve the body of Christ not for personal renown or benefit, but we serve without any strings attached. We identify the needs and seek to meet them through faithful stewarding of what the Lord has given. Thus, the purpose of stewardship centers on God's kingdom and the body of believers.
Participation in stewardship ought not to occur randomly, but we should practice INTENTIONAL STEWARDSHIP. As stewards, we seek to be regular in our stewardship activity. It needs to be part of our life's usual ebb and flow. As a result, stewardship should be systematic. When it becomes systematic, it means that it goes beyond a regular occurrence and becomes part of your overarching plan in life. Thus, stewardship of our time, talent, and treasure should be regular and systematic because it is intentional.
Jesus used the parable to teach about the importance of good stewardship and to warn about the neglect of stewardship. When we think about our life in Christ, we need to assess our faithfulness in this regard. How are you stewarding your time today? How are you stewarding your talents? How are you stewarding your treasure? As we contemplate these things, may the Lord guide us to grow in them.
This blog is part of the Coffee and Quiet Time with Jesus Devotional Series found at equippingfaith.com. Join the journey of reading through the New Testament this year. More information can be found at equippingfaith.com.
