What I've learnt from this passage is
- God gives each of us talents according to our own ability (v15)
There's no use comapring with people who "has much more". I used to envy how people always had talents that earned them approval from people - music, dance, art and the list goes on. I was terrible at these things. I never went past grade 1 piano, danced with 2 left feet, and always had my art pieces being looked down on. Always told my parents I never had any talents haha. Used to really wish I had or at least was good at one of them. But this verse reminded me, God gives us as much as He deems necessary. This includes our workload too. No point trying to see how much better people are in their jobs, or how attractive their jobs are, because where you are right now is right where God has placed you. He doesn't give me any more, any less, but just enough for me to handle EVERYTHING. The necessary talents to complete the job are also God given, as He deems fit.
- We have the freewill to choose what we want to do with our talents
We can choose to multiply our talents like the two servants, or choose to bury it like the foolish servant. The choice is ours. That's exactky how God created the world. He gave us free will, it's up to us to live a life according to His will or just do what you want to do with your life.
- What we do with our talents reflects how well we know our master who gave us those talents
The foolish servant said, "Master, I knew you are a hard man, and harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground." That was an assumption that his master wanted the seed to be buried. It was also partially due to the servant's laziness. But the point is, sometimes we always do things on assumption that God wants us to do this, or "oh God called me to this" etc. I make that mistake alot of times, mostly just swayed based on what I want to do, not what God wants me to do. Ascertaining His will is sometimes a long process, and the result of spending time with Him. I realise that it takes a few times of confirmation, a lot of quiet time and just really letting God's word sink in. I also realise it takes alot of surrender of what I want and just letting Him do what He wants. Sometimes we get so clouded with what we want to do that we just equate everything to doing "God's will". It is not easy I've found, and many atime I've got it wrong. Looking back, I never pressed in hard enough into God's word to truly be certain that that was His will, and not a selfish ambition of mine. Do I actually know God's heart? Did I know it at that time? Looking back, my answer would be a no.
- How well we know our master depicts how close our relationship is with him
Think this is pretty self explantory - if we don't walk closely with God, we will never be able to discern His will. After work started, I found it increasingly hard to find time for God. It's true how if we don't allocate time for Him, we will never have time for Him. In this passage, the servant never once asked his master what should he do with the talent, but did what he did because he thought that was what the master wanted him to do. If we don't spend time to grow out relationship with Jesus, it is so easy to think He wants us to do so and so, which might not be the case.
Wise stewardship is anchored upon A Right View of God Our Master.
- Not realising our talents (even if it is small in our eyes) causes us to waste it away
I mentioned how I used to think I never had any talents? I think when we overlook and not realise what God has given us, but spend our time comparing about what we don't have, we ultimately waste our talents away. It could be a job that God has given, but because we keep comparing with our friends who have better jobs, we don't see the purpose we have in the current job and thus waste our talents away. What I learnt was that sometimes when we don't see it, we need to ask God, what have you given me? what am I supposed to do now? what is the purpose you have for me now? And I'm 100% sure He will reveal it to you. Only then will we not waste the talents and bury it away like the foolish servant.
- Wasting of our talents is not walking in God's will, it is ultimately not knowing His will for your life
This is just the next part of the story. If we don't walk in God's will, it is to put it bluntly, wasting our life here on earth, yet not even storing up our heavenly treasures. To a certain extent, it is also disobedience in my opinion. Knowing and walking in God's will is the purpose of life here on earth, and if we don't do just that, then simply put we are not walking in God's will for our lives which to me is disobedience.
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