What Are You Doing With What You Have Been Given?

Mt 25:20-21 - "The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, 'Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.'  21 "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave…"      NASU

• Jesus' Parable About The 10 Virgins and Talents 

This parable follows the parable about the 10 Virgins, 5 of these virgins were prudent for when they took their lamps, they also took oil with them as they waited for the coming of the bridegroom and 5 were foolish because they didn't prepare themselves in the same way. They took their lamps but no oil, so when the bridegroom comes they are unprepared.
 
Jesus is trying to teach His disciples to be prudent, prepared and use the abilities that they have been given wisely.
Mt 25:15 -"To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability…"    NASU 

• Look What I Have Done With What You Gave Me 

We might think this slave in verse 20 is bragging, but what he is really doing is stating the facts. He was giving an account for what was entrusted to him.  He was given 5 talents (a talent is a weight of money) and being very prudent he wisely invested it in some way and his 5 talents have now become 10 talents. 

• What Have We Done With What God Has Given Us? 

Now before you say God hasn't given me anything I would caution you not to say that. God has given all of us a lot more than we might be willing to identify at first.
 
Let's investigate some statements people have said to me. 

• The Only Thing God Has Ever Given Me Is A Lot Of Suffering.  

I have had some people say to me the only thing God has given them is suffering. Okay, lets for the sake of argument agree that all you have ever had in life is suffering and that God gave it to you.

Then you are the perfect person to teach others how to endure and overcome suffering. You certainly don't want to miss this great opportunity to teach others.
 
Isn't that what we are supposed to be doing in life? We are to be learning the hard and difficult lessons and then sharing what we've learned with others.
 
Eph 4:28 - "…rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need."   NASU
 
In Ephesians Paul is talking about why we work so that we can share with the one who has a need. This same principal is valid with what we experience in life. 

• Types Of Sufferings That Can Benefit Others 

A person who has experienced bankruptcy is qualified to speak to people about how to avoid getting your self into financial problems or at the very least share with us what he did to bring this type of suffering into his life.
 
We see people attend Alcoholic Anonymous meetings so that they can share some of their life stories to help the people who are in attendance.
 
A person who has overcome cancer is better qualified to speak to someone who is presently in the battle on what they did to stay strong and keep moving forward.
 
We have all experienced some difficulties in life and that qualifies us to share with others what we did that worked for us and didn't work for us during those difficult times. 

• Master I have Gained 5 More 

Okay, it is honesty time now. What are the top 5 lessons in life that you have gained?
 
What have you survived, overcome, struggled with, or experienced that you need to start sharing to help others?
 
You certainly didn't think that you were going to go through this learning experience and then not share your knowledge with anyone, did you?
 
Think on These:
 
The best advice you'll get is from someone who made the same mistake himself.
 
Education is what you get from reading the small print in a contract. Experience is what you get from not reading it.
 
A wise man learns by the experiences of others. An ordinary man learns by his own experiences. A fool learns by nobody's experiences.

Stay Pumped,

Gary A. Serago

Minister of God's Word