There is a saying in scripture, “to whom much is given, much is required.”  How many have actually weighed in their hearts what this means?  How many have gone so far as to look in themselves to see what it is that God the Father HAS given to them?  In Matthew, Jesus tells a parable of the division of talents, which were an old type of monetary currency.  In our time, this might be in terms of dollars, yen, lira and the like.  The carry over, though, between the Hebrew word for “talent” (or money) and the modern word for “talent” (or skill or ability) is awesome though.  The lesson applies just as strongly in terms of gifts of talents and abilities as it is in terms of financial blessings.

God has given to each of us a certain amount of talents, abilities, predispositions, education and the like… each person is unique in what they were given, and each person has a unique calling from the Lord to use those gifts.  What are your unique gifts?  Take a few minutes to think about it, and you’re not allowed to say that you haven’t been gifted with anything, because the bible says that that’s not true.  Every one of us has been gifted by God with certain talents and abilities that are unique to us and given to us to use for the edification, or building up, of the body of Christ, and so that the Lord can be glorified in us.

With these gifts, abilities, talents, etc comes the responsibility to use them wisely.  The Father has given us nothing merely for the sake of hoarding for ourselves.  No ability we’ve been provided with is for our own gain.  Everything has a purpose; we are uniquely blessed with certain traits because the Father has uniquely called us to share them with others.  Every one of us has a calling, has a mission, and has a way that they can use those gifts and abilities to reach out to non believers, to build up the body of Christ, and to bless the name of the Lord.  How we choose to respond to the responsibility means a great deal.

You might never know ahead of time where God is planning on taking you with your skills and abilities.  He alone understands why you were so uniquely and wonderfully made, He alone knows what you were created for, and He is willing to share that vision with you if you’re willing to seek it and willing to act out in faith with those talents and abilities that He’s blessed you with.

One day we’ll all stand before Jesus Christ Himself, and we’ll be asked to give an account of how we used the gifts and the abilities that He blessed us with.  Will we be able to look at Him and say “Master, I took from the gifts you gave me, and used them to the extent that I was able and that You gave opportunity”, or will you look at Him and say “no, I was too selfish to use the gifts You gave me”?

We might never know the impact of our faithfulness (or lack thereof) until we stand before Him face to face, but rest assured, He has a calling for you and He has specific things that He wants you to use your gifts and abilities for.  There’s a reason why you are uniquely you, why you have the unique talents and abilities that you have.  There’s a reason, there’s a calling… and in this there is a responsibility.

The Lord promises to grant wisdom leniently to all who seek it.   Seek His wisdom, seek His calling, and let Him lead you into that perfect will, using your talents and abilities that you’re blessed with, and go forward boldly, regardless of how small or inconsequential the use of these traits seemingly is.  I guarantee, there are eternal consequences to your faithfulness that we simply cannot see right now, but who knows how many people will be blessed by your faithfulness, and who knows how many souls might find eternal rest in Jesus because of your willingness to be responsible with the gifts that the Father has given you.