talents

Talents
7-23-08
Last night I sat in a concert hosted by a church, listing to music and singing that ranged from Baroque to modern, to Celtic, to “other”. There was poetry reading, and during intermission, photography to view. All around me in this little church I was surrounded with talent, everywhere I turned. The participants were brought in from all around the county, and not all were Christians. Yet there was a sort of “glory” hanging in the air.
While the music played and I was admiring the display of each person’s individual talent, the Lord interrupted my thoughts. The He reminded me that He commanded the light to shine out of darkness . . . scripture calls us “darkness”. (But now we are translated into the kingdom of light). Another verse came to mind, in which we are called pots of clay. Yet He speaks of putting a treasure inside each one of us, in our human nature, so that the transcending power of His nature might be see. And that is what the Lord was getting to: He wants to be seen in His people. He has given each one of us gifts to show His nature to those who still remain in darkness. His glorious nature isn’t in us just for our sake, but for the sake of all creation.
Then the Lord shifted my attention to the parable of the 3 men who were given talents. The 3rd had buried his talent, and the Master called Him evil, taking his talent away and giving it to the first, who had been faithful. The Lord gently spoke to my heart, “Is declining to use the gift (talent) humility?” He was referring to the many people who feel like they are being “proud” when they use their gift in front of others. Then He said, “Jesus was humble and took on your form, yet He used all His gifts. He didn’t look at His form and decide to shut His mouth, for that would have shut my glory away from those who dwell in darkness.” I thought a moment about my struggles to continue writing worship songs, and spoke a silent apology for my own silence. I also had found it hard to use my gift in front of others, eventually believing that I was just a proud person wanting to “be up front.” Finally, the Lord said, “Are you wiser than, more humble than the Son of God? Or is it an insult to a benevolent Creator for His sons and daughters to bury their talents?”
Seeing how backwards my own thinking has been concerning using talents, I am glad to have a better understanding about the Lord’s purpose in giving them. Yes, we are clay pots, and were in darkness. But it has been God’s design all along to glorify Himself through His people, fragile and prone to sin as we are. We don’t serve God because we are perfect, made of infallible materials: we serve Him because that is His nature in us. Amen.