Share your Talents
St Irenaeus once said that “The glory of God is man fully alive.” I believe the glory of God shows up differently based on the person. For me, it’s when I’m happy, and I have joy. This usually starts when I’m feeling at peace, then joy is right around the corner. When I’m feeling this way, I may want to dance. Rather than sharing a story from my life, I want to share a modern retelling of one of Jesus’s parables. We all have talents that God gave to us based on our abilities. He always gives us gifts that He knows will bring us fully alive.
There were three friends Jane, Luke, and Susan. God blessed Jane with 5 talents. She used all her talents and developed them all to glorify God. She was very craft oriented and champion others to use their own gifts as well. She would make beautiful artsy things for her friends. Every time, she did at the end, she would breathe a breath of relief knowing how she was to glorify God. She would help everyone around in any way she could. Whenever she would use her talents, she would be the happiest she could be.
Luke had two talents. He didn’t let the fact that he was blessed with two talents get him down. In fact, he used his two talents and developed them always looking for more because he knew God gave him more. It was almost a game for him to see where God had blessed him and his family and friends all the while leading people in songs to praise God feeling fully alive. And when he would find a gift in someone, his lips would curl and his eyes would light up.
Then there was Susan, and she only had one talent. When she would make videos for Jane and Luke, they would compliment her top notch videos, but she’d blow their nice words and say, “I’ll never make it if I do YouTube full time.” Another time she said ” Why would I even try? There is a one in million chance to make it big.” One day, they were together and all died in a car wreck.
They were taken to God’s judgment seat, where He greeted them asking, “I gave you three talents that would make you the happiest. What did you do with them?’ Jane walked up and said, “I had five talents that I knew of. Every time I used them I sought to glorify You. I developed them so I could use them better just in case I found more.” God told her, “Well done my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in same matters. Enter into my joy. ” It was Luke’s turn, “I had two talents that I knew about so I used them to the fullest, always glorifying You along the way. I saw in so many other people more than two talents, so it was my game to figure out whatever talents I had all the while developing these two I was given.” “Well done my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in same matters. Enter into my joy,” God said to Luke. Susan was next and fuming, “I only had one ‘talent’ because You didn’t think I could handle more,” putting the word talent into air quotes. “What was is again?” God asked. “Videography,” she scoffed “I gave you that gift so you could use it for others to get to Heaven. You think you wouldn’t have had a fulfilling life?” God asked. “Fulfilling?” She said in disbelief. “You never came through for me. You never loved me so why would I believe in You? Would You come through for me? I never saw it. You didn’t originally give Jane and Luke those talents. I don’t know if they were ready gifted in those ways.” God sighed, “I would have had helped you, but since you believe I didn’t actually give your friends those gifts. I’m sorry but I cannot help you.” He wants you in Hell for eternity and since you decided to listen to what he said, I cannot help you,” He turned his back taking Jane and Luke into Heaven leaving Susan outside of Heaven for the devil to take to Hell.
I do believe that when you use your talents or gifts that God gave you, you become fully alive and are glorifying Him. I do know some of you who are reading this don’t know what your gifts are, please take the inventory that is linked (here) so you can start to glorify God with an even more full life. This is very thorough. It has 120 questions and I’d take your time with it. If you do know your gifts or think you do, God could have something completely new that you didn’t know was a gift. I found out that my knowledge was a gift, but I was given writing along with it to help people around me. So use your talents so you can help everyone around you to see God. Don’t bury them or be jealous of other gifts. You will be fulfilled.