“… From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.” Luke 12:48

What have you been given? Right now I am not asking about money or things.  I am asking about your talents.  What talents have you been given?  Are you using them?  Or are you squandering them?

So often we don’t use our talents because we lack confidence. We think of all the people in the world who are better than us at a certain skill.  Then we think, “Well, what is the point of playing my cello?  I’ll never be as good a cellist as Yo-Yo Ma.”  Or, “Why should I write a book?  I’ll never write stories like Toni Morrison.”  Maybe.  Maybe not.  But that isn’t the point.  The Bible doesn’t tell us to compare ourselves to everyone else, and then only use our skills if we are the best.  We are supposed to use the talents God gave us.  And when we do, God can use us to better the world.

Our talents are not a gift which we can choose to either use or not. Talents come with responsibility.  We are responsible to use our talents to effect God’s will on earth.  It isn’t our job to worry about whether we are good enough, or smart enough or beautiful enough to do whatever it is that we have been called to do.  Our job simply is to use our talents to serve God.

I know a beautiful lady who is a violinist and a financial expert. Even though she is busy as a fulltime mom, she has not laid her talents to waste.  She regularly plays her violin at our church and transforms our worship services.  She recently played hymns at a nursing home for one of our parishioners who could no longer come to church.  She brightened everyone’s world at the home that day.  And she lends her financial expertise to our church.  God has given her talents, and she uses them at every opportunity to serve Him.

Some of us hide our talents because we don’t want to appear to be boastful or vain. But we have to remember that we haven’t earned our talents.  We’ve been blessed with them.  As a result, our talents are to be used and shared to make the world a better place.  They aren’t meant to be hidden under a rock.

Not only do we have a responsibility to use our own talents, we are responsible to encourage others to use theirs. I used to work for an organization that served women.  Many of the women I met with were victims of domestic violence.  I used to think, “What incredible talents do you have that have been suppressed?”  I also thought, “How dare someone deny you the right to not only be safe, but to live in an environment in which you can use your gifts for the glory of God?”

When I see people who are victims of violence, or who are homeless or addicted to drugs, I don’t see failures. I see people who have been blessed with gifts that may never be used to serve the world.  It is a tragedy.

This week consider your own gifts.  Are you being a responsible steward of the talents that God has given you?  Are you using them on a daily basis?  Are you honing and refining your skills?  You have been given particular gifts for a reason – to serve and glorify God.  Use them.