Turning Talent Into Gold

What are you good at? Do you jump high or run fast? Do you cook yummy food? Do people come to you for help? Maybe you draw pictures or sing?

Maybe you’re like me: you write well. I love writing. When I can’t figure out what to say, I write it down first. Whenever there was a youth day at church, I was chosen to say whatever I’d written. When I was really young, I’d even make stories about characters I imagined, or sometimes wrote stories about my friends (I still do this).

We all have different talents. Some people play instruments. Some people are good at making others feel better when they’re sad. Everyone’s talents working together makes us like a healthy body working for Christ. The Bible agrees!

The apostle Paul wrote: “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teach- ing, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully” (Rom. 12:4-8, NIV).

God has blessed us with talents that we should use to honor Him. No one talent is better than another, just as no one body part is better than another. They’re all important. I mean, how boring would it be if we were all good at the exact same thing?

Jesus told a story about three servants with “talents” (in this case, gold). They were supposed to hold them for their master while he traveled (Matt. 25:14-30). Once the master left, the servant who was given five bags of gold put it to good use and ended up with 10 bags. The servant with two bags of gold ended up with two more bags. The servant who was given one bag of gold didn’t put his gold to good use; instead he buried it in the ground.

When the master returned, the servants who were given five bags and two bags to hold were able to show the master their new bags of gold. But the servant with one bag had nothing to show. The master was angry with that servant and gave his one bag to the servant with 10 bags. He then sent the servant who had done nothing with his share of “talent” away.

In the same way the master expected the servants to increase the “talents” he gave them, our Master wants us to use the talents He gave us to help others.

What talents do you have? Draw three gold coins and write a talent you have on each one. Try to use all three talents this week to help someone have a better day.

This article first appeared in KidsView, October 2017.

Bible Treasure:

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:10, NIV).