In the book of Matthew in the Bible, Jesus tells his disciples a parable about a man going on a journey. This man entrusts his servants with “talents” before he leaves.
- To the first servant he gives five talents
- To the second servant he gives two talents
- To the third servant he gives one talent
A talent in those days was a considerable sum of money, worth thousands of dollars in today’s economy.
In Matthew 25- Jesus relates their actions…
The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
After a long time, the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. It is interesting to note the rewards of their actions…
The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. “Master,” he said, “you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.”
His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”
The man with the two talents also came. “Master,” he said, “you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.”
His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”
Then the man who had received the one talent came. “Master,” he said, “I knew that you are a hard man, 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. See, here is what belongs to you.”
His master replied, “You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
“Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Matthew 25:14-30 (NIV)
While there is great significance in this parable from a spiritual and moral sense, it is interesting to view this in the concept of our personal talents. We all have talents, but like the third servant, many of them may be covered up or buried deep in the ground.
From a personal development viewpoint, we may have considerable buried treasure in our lives, just waiting to be dug up and opened. As in the parable above…
- If we uncover our talents and invest them wisely, there will be a considerable reward.
- If we do nothing with them, one day we may be called to account for them and find that difficult consequences await.
This parable hits home with me in various ways. From a career standpoint, I have found that there are many talents that are needed for today’s modern workplace. One simple example comes back to me almost everyday.
I took Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint classes back in the late 1990’s. I didn’t realize the importance of the classes at the time, but they have been incredibly helpful over the years.
Just knowing how to setup a graph in Excel or create an outline in Word, have been very useful on my job. I use them almost every day.
I can’t tell you how many people that I work with struggle with Powerpoint presentations. I am often called in at the last moment to get a presentation going or to get the computer to communicate with the projector.
Using our talents can have a profound effect on our lives. Instead of just letting our lives move aimlessly along, if we develop our talents, we can move ahead in a successful and deliberate manner. We can turn these individual talents into an incredible treasure.
For many of us this personal treasure can be explored by looking into seven different areas… and asking some direct questions…
Who
1. Who am I and what are my strengths?
2. Who are my customers/clients?
3. Who are my mentors?
What
1. What great thing would I do if I knew I could not fail?
2. What small things can I learn that will help me along the way?
Where
1. Where do I work?
2. Where is my mission field?
3. Where am I going?
When
1. When will I start?
2. When will I finish?
3. When is success?
How
1. How will I get there?
2. 12 month, One Year, and Three Year Goals
Why
1. Why am I doing this?
2. What is my purpose?
Risk
1. What is the best thing that can happen if I do this?
2. What is the worst thing that can happen if I do this?
3. What is the best thing that can happen if I don’t do this?
4. What is the worst thing that can happen if I don’t do this?
Answering these questions can take some doing. First we have to find and dig up our treasure chest. Then we have to unlock it and discover the hidden talents. Then comes the fun part… once the talents have been cleaned up and polished, we get to spend our treasure. With our new found talents it might be a business, a new job, or a mission trip to a far off land. The possibilities are endless.
Are you ready to find your treasure?
