Investing My Talents
Dear Father,
As I meditated on You word today, I thought about ‘talents’ (Matt 25:13-30 see below). You give each of us ‘talents’ and expect us to ‘invest’ with them. In my heart I asked you, “what do you mean by talents?” Your still small voice in my heart drew my thoughts to the desire You gave me way back in my youth to be a wife, homemaker, and good mother. You put so much in my heart about the way I have invested my talents and I am overwhelmed with Your mercy and grace.
I crashed and burned for the first part of my life because I did not have You – I was following that desire with little or no thought – I just did not understand how, and treated marriage as disposable in many ways – what a shame, I was so lost.
Then I became a believer, but I did not STOP and LISTEN, still thinking I knew best. I did not take the time to grow in my faith and understanding. In doing that I made more bad choices and married a man who never loved me rather than wait for Your best. Despite it all You blessed me with 5 children and now 7 grandchildren.
Oh, how imperfect I have been with my ‘talents’ but oh, how much I have grown and had to draw closer to You. You have disciplined, encouraged, trained, loved, and shown great mercy and grace toward me through it all! You have taught me so much more than I would have ever learned if I had never ‘invested’ my talents. I would not be who I am today. You used all those times and people to sharpen me, especially home schooling my children. The only regrets I have are the times I did not trust you and seek/wait for you leading!
No matter how bad my choices at times I do not regret investing in marriage or children! I know for sure that it is easy to be filled with pride or say in my heart, “I would never…” or “If that was my child (or marriage)…”, if I had never had to experience either. Just like an ‘armchair warrior’ or ‘director from the sidelines’ it would be easy to feel very accomplished or all together, when in fact, I would be the most pathetic of all!!
After reading the parable and You clarifying that being a wife, raising my children and investing in the lives of my family is a big portion of the talents you gave me (along with others), I felt a certain clarity – You do not count my errors nor deride me for imperfectly investing my talents (it is for You to bring the increase). However, if I had never invested with my talents or hid them (not used them) for fear of making a mistake, You would call me – unprofitable.
As in the lives of David, Abraham, and Moses (to name a few) their faults and pitfalls were not Your focus – All of them were beloved by You because at the end of the day, they ‘invested their talents’ by obeying You and acting upon the call You gave them, however imperfectly!
Matthew 25:13-30 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. 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. 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.
Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, 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.
He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, 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.
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: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. 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: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
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. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.