In Matthew 25: 14-30, Jesus told a parable of a man who gave talents to three of his servants. The first received 5 talents, the second servant 2 talents and the third was given 1 talent. The talents were not shared arbitrarily; haphazardly, blindly, aimlessly, by chance, by coincidence or randomly. The distribution of these talents were based on the ability of each servant. The master knew what each servant could comfortably handle and that was what he gave to each one. “And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability…” (Matthew 15:15).
The parables of Jesus are not fiction stories. They are not imaginary events, something that is invented or untrue. The parables of Jesus are what He uses to pass across an important lesson or teaching. They are illustrations which reflect what is really happening in people’s lives, they are an opener into what we see in our world today.
The three servants in the parable of the talents represent or are symbolic of the body of believers. Each servant received something from their master. So also every one of us has received at least one gift from God. 1 Peter 4:10 says “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another. As good servants of the manifold grace of God.” 1 Corinthians 12:7 says “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all.” Each of us has been given through the Spirit of God, something to do for God, a gift to operate in or serve with. Ephesians 4:7 says “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift”. No child of god is excluded, we all have a gift, grace and ministry. Everyone has a ministry that God has put under you care, every one of us has a measure of God’s grace. The measure of grace we have is in direct proportion to the assignment, the ministry God has called us into, it is linked to the gift God has given us. This grace is the divine strength and enablement to function and serve in a particular area, it is the divine ability to do certain things for God effortlessly, without struggling.
These three scriptures use the phrase ‘each one’, ‘each of us,’ to emphasize the fact that there is no child of God that doesn’t have a part to play in the work of God, there is no believer that God hasn’t given a responsibility or an assignment to carry out.
GIFTS, GRACE AND MINSITRIES ARE DISTRIBUTED ACCORDING TO GOD’S SOVEREIGN WILL AND PLAN FOR OUR LIVES
Just as the three servants in the Parable of the Talents, were given different things, not the same thing, Jesus, our Lord and Master has given us, His servants, His children, different gifts, different grace, different ministries. God has given some people five different responsibilities or assignments to handle. Some could have three or four. Some others two. Some one. The sharing formula God uses for the distribution of gifts and ministries to His children is our ability; what we can comfortably handle, what we have grace to do. We don’t choose our gift, we don’t determine and dictate what our assignment will be. God gives them to us based on His will; on His plan and purpose for our lives. “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills” (1 Corinthians 12:11).
EXCELLENCE CAN BE ACHIEVED WHEN WE ARE OPERATING IN THE GIFT, GRACE AND MINISTRY GOD HAS GIVEN US
The servant with 5 talents and servant with two talents, went at once to put their talents to use, to trade with what they had been given, to serve with their talents. They both doubled what was given them, they both exceled, did very well that when their master returned, he commended them for their diligence and faithfulness. He was pleased with their performance (Matthew 25:16-23). It was easy for these servants to excel because what they put to use, was what they had received from their master. Excellence can be achieved when we are operating in the grace, gift and ministry God has given. It is within the ambit; the expressions of the grace, gift and ministry God has given us that we have the potential to be the very best, to do exceedingly well.
RECOGNIZE YOUR OWN GIFT, WHAT YOU HAVE GRACE TO DO, WHAT YOUR ASSIGNMENT IS AND STICK TO IT, DON’T DEVIATE FROM IT
Paul recognized the grace of God on his life and operated under that dimension of grace. In Ephesians 3:8 he said “To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.” Paul recognized that God had given him a burden to reach out to the Gentiles. God had filled him with divine strength and wisdom to unfold the mysteries of the gospel to the Gentiles, to impact their lives and turn their hearts to Christ (Ephesians 3:9, Galatians 1:16, Romans 1:5). Paul recognized that the work God wanted him to do was different from what God wanted Peter to do. Though they were both called into an apostolic ministry, their assignments were different. The people they were to reach out to were different (Galatians 2:8). Paul devoted his time to doing what God wanted him to do, not what God had called Peter or anyone else to do. He wasn’t struggling or fighting preaching assignments, followers and members with Peter. He faced his own assignment, he focused on the people he was called to.
Paul had great success in reaching out to the Gentiles because this was what He was created to do, this was God’s purpose for his life (Galatians 1:15-16). He excelled in his service to God because he served where God had given him grace to function, he reached out to the people God had given him the grace to reach out to and impact. May we be able to say I have done all God asked me to, I have made full proof of my ministry (2 Timothy 4:5); I have completed the work God set me apart to do for Him. I have fulfilled my divine assignment (Colossians 4:17). I have fought the fight, I have finished the course (2 Timothy 4:6-8); I have served where and how God wanted me to serve, I have reached out to and ministered to all those God planned for me to be a blessing to.
Dorcas had grace to reach out to widows. She had a special burden from God for them. It was easy for her to go out of her way to do the things she did for widows because there was grace on her life to minister to widows (Acts 9:36-41).
Some people have grace, have a burden to reach out to the elderly, some to the sick, some to singles, some to children, some to help people thrive and succeed in business, some have a burden to help and support ministers of God with prayers or financially. It’s a grace because it doesn’t come naturally to everyone, not everyone is concerned or interested in that issue, problem or group of individuals the way you are. If we are all concerned, burdened, passionate about the same thing, have interest in serving in the same area, “if we are all the eye where would be the hearing? If the whole where the hearing where would the smelling be” (1 Corinthians 12:16-17).But God has given us different grace, different gifts, different ministries, so no issue, problem, need or group of individuals are neglected.
It’s a grace because not everyone enjoys serving in that area or reaching out to those group of individuals. It’s a grace because not everyone can make a difference or a positive impact in that ministry or area of service. Dorcas made a significant impact, a big difference in the lives of widows because that was her area of calling, this was what she had been given grace to do, these were the people she had been given grace to affect for Christ (Acts 9:39). God says let everything that has breath praise the Lord (Psalm 150:6), not let everyone and everything that has breath be a praise or worship leader because not all of us can make an impact or a difference in the music ministry.
David realized that he couldn’t function effectively, he couldn’t excel in another person’s clothes. In 1 Samuel 17:38-40, Saul put on David his armour, helmet and sword. It was difficult for David to walk with them, to function well with them. He was struggling in Saul’s clothes. He said “I cannot walk with these for I have not tested them and took them off” (1 Samuel 17:38). In other words, I’m not comfortable being you, doing what you do, the way you do it. I don’t have grace to operate in these clothes. In David’s own clothes, with his own weapons, with what David was used to, David was able to bring down Goliath, David excelled. David would have failed, lost out if he tried to look like Saul and act like Saul. David wouldn’t have had the victory he had if he operated outside what he was used to, outside his area of strength. David’s strength lied in using his own clothes, his hands, simple weapons he was comfortable with, to face challenging situations. This was how he faced a lion and bear (1 Samuel 17:34-36), this was the same way he faced Goliath and had good success in both instances. Operating outside your area of strength, giftedness, call, grace and ministry is to set yourself up for mediocre work or failure.
To excel in service you must wear your own clothes; you must use what is yours in Christ Jesus, you must serve with your own gifts, in your own ministry, with what you have grace to do.
If you are not sure of what ‘your own clothes’ are; what your gift is, what your ministry is, what you have grace to do, the following scriptures list out different gifts and ministries in the body of Christ. At least one of them has been given to you by God (1 Corinthians 12: 4-10, 28-31, Ephesians 4:11, Romans 12:6-8).
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO EXCEL IN THE GIFT, GRACE AND MINISTRY GOD HAS GIVEN US
- It is doing whatever you do for God, whatever assignment God has given you very well - After creation God looked at all He had created and saw that everything He made was very good (Genesis 1:31). He was pleased with the standard of work, it was of very high standard. In like manner, we too should not do the work of God, serve with our gifts, in a sloppy, shabby and shoddy manner. We should not offer substandard work or service to God. To excel is to do your very best. Colossians 3:23-24 tells us that whatever we do, we should put in our best effort since we are doing it for God not for any man. This means whatever work we do or service we render, we should put God before us as our Master. When Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph, he said “How can I do this wickedness and sin against God (Genesis 39:9). This shows that the person Joseph saw as his real and true Master was God not Potiphar. If it was just Potiphar he was working for or serving, he could have slept with Potiphar’s wife and covered it up, pretended or lied that nothing had happened, which are things people do to earthly masters. Joseph knew nothing at all is hidden from God, His Master, so there was no way he could lie or pretend with God. This was why his standard of integrity, diligence and commitment was very high in Potiphar’s house, in the prison and everywhere he went (Genesis 39:3-4, 21-23).
- It is fully involving the Holy Spirit in your life and ministry – One of the symbols of the Holy Spirit is a dove (Luke 3:22). When we walk and work with the Holy Spirit, we can go high like a bird, we can rise above the level we are in, we can soar on wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31). The Holy Spirit makes it clear to us the work, the ministry God has for us (Acts 13:2). The Holy Spirit directs our steps to places and people where we will make impact, where we will have good success (Acts 8:29-39) He births great ideas in us, He is the incubating room for great visions, projects and ministries (Matthew 1:20, Isaiah 66:8). He is the Spirit of liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17) who sets us free from every yoke keeping us from moving forward, from every satanic confinement limiting our life, ministry and service to God (Isaiah 10:27). The standard of work done through the inspiration and power of the Holy Spirit is very good. We must therefore walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh (Galatians 5:16). We must rely on the power of the Holy Spirit and not on human power and might (Zechariah 4:6). Our best self, our best work comes out when we are led, inspired, motivated, energized and carried by the Holy Spirit.
- It is putting to use the gift and grace of God on your life so you improve and get better - Excellence is a journey of daily improving and growing. The servant with one talent didn't even bother to embark on this journey. 2 Timothy 1:6 says “stir up the gift of God which is in you”. Don’t keep in comma, don’t bury, don’t render inactive the gift and grace God has given you, like the servant that received one talent did. The same way his master left him, was the same way his master found him when he returned. Nothing had changed in his life. There was no improvement, no growth in his life because he did nothing with the talent he received (Matthew 25:24-25). His master rebuked him for being lazy. For not doing anything at all (Matthew 25:26-30). You can’t excel if you aren’t doing anything, if you aren’t committed to trying, working and serving. The more we use our gifts, the better we become with them, the higher the standard of work or service we offer.
TO EXCEL IN THE GIFT, GRACE AND MINISTRY GOD HAS GIVEN US, WE MUST GUARD AGAINST THESE THINGS:
There are 4 things that can rob us of the spirit of excellence and keep us from reaching the heights God wants us to reach. We must guard against:
1. Pride-
The servant that received 5 talents was commended by his master, he brought joy to his master because his heart was right (Matthew 25:25). God can’t commend us or be pleased with us if there is pride in our heart. Proverbs 6:17 says God hates a proud look. The servant with 5 talents didn’t look down on the others because he was given more talents than they were. He didn’t feel he was better off, more important, more anointed, more gifted than they were. Paul speaking against pride in Christian service says in Romans 12:3 “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.”
We shouldn’t do ministry work, serve God from the premise of what I do is more important, I am more important than others. The fact that you are the one who preaches the sermons doesn’t mean you are more important than everyone else. We have no basis for feeling spiritually superior to others because both the person who cleans the church and the one that preaches the sermons, are vital to the smooth running of the church. Self-importance, self-exaltation doesn’t reflect Christlikeness. Jesus didn’t consider Himself too important to come down to earth, too holy to mix with prostitutes and tax collectors, too big, high and mighty to be crucified on a cross the same way armed robbers were.
We shouldn’t be so full of ourselves, so full of pride that we believe we are indispensable; nothing good can happen unless we are there or are the ones doing the work. Only God is indispensable. We shouldn’t allow pride fool us into thinking nothing can be done without us. The work of God can go on without you and I. God can always get a ‘David’ to replace ‘Saul’.
Pride is simply attributing to self the glory due to God. This was the problem of King Nebuchadnezzar. What Nebuchadnezzar achieved through the grace and strength of God, he said was done through his own might and power (Daniel 4:30). No matter the number of gifts and talents you have, no matter how good a singer, preacher, teacher, dancer, intercessor you are, no matter the great things God is using you for, even if it is to raise the dead, heal people of cancer or other terminal diseases, you must remain humble before God (James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:6). You must recognize and appreciate that every accomplishment, every success as you serve in God’s vineyard is brought about by the grace of God. Once we begin to share God’s glory, have pride in our heart, even if we have risen to the level where we are receiving preaching or singer invitations from different parts of the world, in one day, like it happened to Nebuchadnezzar, we can be brought down from the ladder of success (Daniel 5:20). Proverbs 16:18 says “pride goes before destruction a haughty spirit before a fall.” May pride not make us have a big fall.
2. Looking Down on our Gift, not appreciating what we have -
We must value the blessings, grace and gift God has given us. The servant with one talent didn’t appreciate what God had given him. When you don’t value something, you don’t put much effort into it. It is something we are not proud of, don’t consider presentable that we hide. We put on display our best furnishings and decorations in the living room. We hide in our store or backyard worn out and spoilt items. The servant with one talent went and hid his one talent because he probably felt his talent was nothing compared to those that had five and two. It wasn’t good enough to be displayed, what others had was better off than his.
If all you can do is smile, shake hands, greet and welcome people as they come to church, meanwhile there are people who can sing or preach and the sick get healed, you are still doing something significant for God. In the kingdom of God no gift, no assignment, no responsibility or ministry is to be looked down on because they all have the potential to grow into something big (Matthew 13:31-32). The same way the talents of the servants with 5 and two talents doubled and grew, was the same way the talent of the servant with one talent would have doubled and grown if he didn’t hide his talent, if he didn’t look down on and undervalue what his master had given him.
3. Comparing and measuring ourselves with others –
I like the fact that the servant who received two talents didn’t feel bad, grumble and complain because he had been given two talents whereas someone else was given five. I like the fact that even though there was someone with more talents than he had, he wasn’t bitter about it. He didn’t feel cheated or victimized because he was given just two talents and go into depression. He accepted what he was given, he excelled with what he was given.
Comparing ourselves with others has too many negative side effects. The first thing it does is make us feel God is unfair to us, other people are being treated better than us. Psalm 73 is very instructive on this point. The Psalmist compared his life with the life of the wicked and it looked like the wicked, those who didn’t care a thing about God were more blessed than the righteous. They had a much better, easier, comfortable life than the righteous. He felt God wasn’t fair to him. Till God opened his eyes to see that with all their wealth, though things appeared to be going smoothly and comfortably for them, their end is destruction.
In Psalm 73:3, he describes how he became envious as he looked at the life of the ungodly and compared it with his own life. When we begin to focus on ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands’ (1 Samuel 18:7); his church has 5000 members, mine just 500, he has five gifts, I have only two or one. When he’s the one preaching everybody shows up, when it’s my turn just a handful of people are there. She gets invitations to minister in other countries, I haven’t even gotten an invitation to minister in another church in my own country. Jealousy sets in as we entertain such thoughts.
Comparison also puts unnecessary pressure on us to copy other people because we want people to like us the way they like them, follow us the way they are following them, applaud us the way they applaud them. God wants us to be ourselves not someone else. Paul accepted that each person was unique, each person is different, has different grace, so he didn’t put pressure on anyone to be single like he was (1 Corinthians 7:7, 17).
2 Corinthians 10:12 says “For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.” Comparison is foolishness. It distracts us from the goal of the Christian faith which is to be like Christ and makes us focus instead on trying to be someone else. It takes our attention from what God has called us to be and do and makes us spend time trying to do what God has called another person to be and do. It makes us run another person’s race instead of running with endurance the race God has marked out for us (Hebrews 12:2).
4. Procrastination –
Timeliness is crucial in using our gifts, in doing the work God has assigned to us. The servants with 5 talents and 2 talents went at once to put their talents to use (Matthew 25:16-17). Procrastination is delaying or postponing what can be done now. Perfectionism makes some people procrastinate. These servants didn’t wait until they were perfect or experts in trading, had attended business school or acquired a Master’s in Business Administration before they traded with their talents. You don’t have to wait until you have read the whole Bible, can recite accurately 100 Bible verses, have gone to Bible School before you start using your gift, start doing the work God has assigned to you. These things are good, there’s nothing wrong with spending time to know more of the Word, acquiring training to increase our knowledge of a particular field or improve our performance, but we can start where we are, at the level we are.
The servant with one talent said he was afraid that was why he hid his talent (Matthew 25:25). Fear makes us procrastinate. Fear of what the outcome of an activity or action may be can make us delay or put off doing that thing. Fear that people won’t listen to you or may confront you with hard questions you don’t have answers to, can make a person put off going on evangelism. Fear that you may miss a note or key, forget the lyrics of a song can make one procrastinate joining the choir even when you know that’s where God wants you to serve. No wonder when Paul was encouraging Timothy to stay true to the faith, to use the gift God had given him, Paul told him “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). Fear makes us bury our gifts and run away from opportunities to serve God. To overcome procrastination, we must break free from fear. Whatever we are afraid of that is keeping us from serving God and doing God’s work, whatever fears we have that makes us lazy and unfaithful with our gift and divine assignment, God wants to help us overcome our fears, so we don’t miss the blessings and rewards for service. David had fears, but those fears didn’t prevent him from doing the things God wanted him to, his fears didn’t stop him from stepping into the position God had prepared for him. David sought the Lord, when he saw fear was robbing him of his joy and of fulfilling purpose. The Lord answered him and delivered him from all his fears (Psalm 34:4-5).
Ecclesiastes 3:1 says there is a time for every activity. There is a time to do certain things for God, postponing them could be disastrous. Imagine what would have happened to thousands of Jews if Esther didn’t speak up at the time she did for them. When her uncle Mordecai told her to confront the king and let him know the plight of the Jews, initially Esther tried to postpone or delay taking action. She was afraid and uncertain of what the outcome would be for going to see the king when it wasn’t her turn to be called into the king’s inner court. Immediately, her uncle rebuked her that there was no time to waste. What needed to be done, had to be done now, for it is probably for a time such as this when the Jews desperately need her help that God has positioned her in the palace (Esther 4:11-14). When God gives you a burden to pray for someone, help, call or visit someone, don’t put it off until later, don’t procrastinate. You never know the need, problem or issue God wants to address in that person’s life at that particular time or the disaster God wants to spare the person from.
The greatest danger of procrastination is that it can make us unprepared to receive our Lord and Master when He returns. The servant with one talent wasn’t prepared for his master’s return. People who procrastinate always have excuses why they aren’t doing the things they should be doing (Proverbs 22:13, Luke 14:15-20). All the servant with one talent had to give his master when he returned were excuses. Jesus will come at an hour when we don’t expect, when He comes or when we have to stand before His judgment throne, would we just give Him a bunch of lame excuses. I was afraid that was why I didn’t tell people about Your saving grace. I was so busy juggling family responsibilities and office work I didn’t have time to reach out to the people You wanted me to. I was sad I wasn’t married, I didn’t have a child, I didn’t have much in my bank account, I hadn’t been promoted for years that I didn’t have any energy to use the gifts You gave me or be a blessing to other people.
I pray that in spite of our weakness; our flaws, imperfections and mistakes, notwithstanding our challenges; the difficult times we go through, or even our enemies; Satan and everyone who stands in the way of the great door for effective work God has opened to us, we will recognize the grace God has bestowed us, appreciate the gift God has blessed us with, and set out to diligently and faithfully carry out the work God has entrusted into our hands. So when we stand before our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, He will say to us, “well done, good and faithful servant’.
