You Are Important Too!

Jesus told a parable about 3 men that were given talents by their master.    They were not given equal talents, one man was given much more than the other.   In the parable we see that each person was 'judged' by the amount they were given, and not by the amount they had accomplished.

The one given five talents went out and gained five more.  The one with two talents went out and gained two more.  But the one that had received only one talent hid his talent and did not use it, and gained nothing from it.     Let's look at this man today and his interaction in the parable with the master because God is wanting us to learn a lesson here in this parable. 

Matthew 25:24 Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered, ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter? 27 Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received my money back with interest! 28 Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. 29 For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’”

1.  He said his master was a hard man.    Be careful that you do not think that what God is asking of you in life is too hard.  God has not been hard on us in that He gives us grace in all that we do.   Yes, he does expect us to move forward, to advance, to gain more, but He also gives us more grace.   How many people do not do the will of God because they think that they cannot do what God ask because someone else could do better, as if what God is asking is 'too hard.'    Don't accuse God of making living for Him too hard.  

2.  He accused God of getting a profit without sowing.   That is a curious thing to say.  How much has God sown into our lives?  How much has He given His life for us?  How often does He give to us when we asked him in prayer?   God has sown into our lives so much more than what He has ever asked from us.  In other words he was saying, "God does nothing for us and expects something from us." 

3.  He said he was afraid so He hid the talent the master gave to him in the ground.   How often do we refuse to do God's will because we are afraid we will fail?   How often do we take what God has given us and bury it in the world?  We cannot allow fear or worldly involvement to keep us from doing the will of God. 

4.  He wanted to give back to the master what the master gave to him without ever using it to the glory of the master.  People do this all the time.  They fail to use the things that God has given them to further the Kingdom of God, they just sit on those talents and gifts and think nothing that it is dormant in their lives.  They have no idea they will give account for everything that God gave to them and it is NOT OK to just not use what God gave to you.

What happened to this man?  He was the only one the master scolded and rejected.   The man with five talents doubled his talents.   The man with two talents doubled his talents.  Both of these men got the same words of reward, and approval.  But the man who hid his talent and didn't use it was scolded and rejected by the master.   It is not OK to not use the gifts that God has given to you in life.   Are you afraid of failing?  Of not doing well?   Do you think your one little thing you got isn't really important, so, nobody will care if you don't use it?   These are the things we tell ourselves instead of doing God's will, but unless we use our gifts God will not be pleased.

In the end God took the one gift he gave to the lazy servant and gave it to the one who had five.  We get so jealous because some people seem to have it all, and then they get more, but have you ever stopped to think it is because they use what they have and make the most of it?

Are you in a small town, doing a small thing, in a small community, a small church, a small business.  Maybe there is only ONE thing you can do, because what you have or where you live is so small...get up and do that one thing, because that one thing you can do is more important than you know!  Would you like to be a part of God's prayer army?  click here.