So, What Exactly Are “Talents”?
The following reflection was excerpted from the Stewardship Study Bible, published by Zondervan.
Jesus had been teaching the disciples the importance of watching and waiting for the culmination of the Kingdom. In this context, he tells the parable (Matthew 25:15-30) of the man going on a journey and leaving his treasure with each of his servants “according to his ability” (v. 15). It implies both knowledge of and confidence in his servants.
A talent was a unit of exchange of varying amounts of gold, silver, or copper. According to the reckoning of one commentator, it may have represented 20 years’ work for a day laborer. Over the years, talent has come to mean intellectual powers and natural abilities that can have tangible value. Stewardship theologian Ronald E. Vallet explains how our “talents” are currency in the language of Kingdom stewardship:
“We must be careful not to interpret the parable of the talents simply on the meaning of the word “talent” that evolved over the years. Rather, the crucial question that each person must ask is, “What did Jesus mean by the talent?” I would submit that everything you have and everything you are comprise the talents entrusted to you by God. This includes your abilities: each precious moment of every day, every week, every month, and every year given to you; your material and financial resources; your relationships with loved ones and friends; the gift of God's salvation and redemption in Jesus Christ—in short, your very life! All of this is entrusted to you by God. And you are called to be God's steward.
What an adventure this makes of life. Yet how often we are like the one-talent man. Our faith, instead of being an adventure, becomes a heavy chain of obligations. We cling to the status quo, hoping we can get by without too many crises or challenges. We are content with the usual routine. The one-talent Christian fails to see how much he or she is needed. The result is deadly lethargy.
The parable makes it very clear that, as stewards, we are accountable to God. With accountability, there are consequences. Jesus’ point was that talents are entrusted to us to be used. If an opportunity is not taken, it is lost. An arm not used will atrophy. The Christian steward is called to live in courageous faith.”
Pastor Robert Simms comments on the role of the church in assisting people in finding and using their talents:
“While each person bears the ultimate responsibility for his discovery and use of talent, or else for its neglect, surely the church has an obligation under Ephesians 4:12 as part of its ‘preparing God's people for works of service’ to help believers identify talents, provide training to sharpen those talents if appropriate, and to give them an opportunity to use those talents in the Lord's work. Pastors and other ministers can facilitate this use of talent by leading their churches to find ministries that fulfill people's talents and gifts, instead of just looking for people to fill jobs.”
Faith & Finance Perspective
We often slide into patterns of stewardship that have become commonplace in traditional Christian church culture. But by doing so, we may miss God’s unique call on us as courageous stewards. For instance, it may be wise to start with a percentage of your income to determine how much you should give, or the number of hours per week or month that you want to dedicate to serving your church or community. But rather than settling into unchanging, long-term routines when it comes to how we steward our talents, wouldn’t it be better to engage in active, fluid communication with the One who provided those talents in the first place?
As Ron Blue notes in session 3 of his God Owns It All video series, “I need—all the time—to be going to God and asking, ‘Lord, what is the lifestyle You want me to have? Is this the right decision?’ He calls us to spend time in front of Him, asking, ‘Lord, what would You have me to have [and surrender]?’ because He wants to drive that relationship between the two of us.”
If we are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made, each of us has been assigned a unique role to fulfill in Christ’s Kingdom. Let’s continue to seek Him in putting to use the specific talents He has entrusted to us.
With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.- Ephesians 1:8-11