You Have Got A Talent, Use It

Posted on:November 15th, 2017

12-11-2017 THIRTY-SECOND SUNDAY OF THE YEAR (A)

SCRIPTURAL READING:

1.     WIS. 6:12-16.

Ps. 63:2.3-4.5-6.7-8 (R. 2b).

2.   1 Thess. 4:13-18; Accl. Mt. 24:42a.44.

3.   Gospel. Matt. 25:1-13.

Preamble:

Dear friends please repeat these words after me;

Lord Jesus, I give you my mind, help me understand.

Lord Jesus, I give you my ears, help me hear your voice.

Lord Jesus, I give you my heart, help me welcome you.

Holy Spirit, rekindle in me the fire of your love. Amen.

THEME: You have got a talent use it.

There is no one without a gift/Talent. God has given everyone something of himself to use. First and foremost it is a gift of God to man, secondly, man must use it to glorify God. Thirdly, God has given it to man to use it to improve himself and last of it all, to help further the course of creation. Above all else, this talent/gift given to man is given to him in love and he owes God a special responsibility to utilize this gift such that it benefits him and those around him.

You know sometimes we confuse the two that is gift and talent.

1.     Talents: talents are natural.

Gifts: Gifts are supernatural.

2.   Talents: are inherited from one’s parents, ultimately from Adam.

Gift: are received from God by the work of the Holy Spirit.

3.   Talents: are received at birth. They are natural endowements.

Gifts: are received at the time of the new birth- life in the spirit seminar, confirmation.

4.   Talents: are possessed both by those who have Christians and non-Christians. There are many non-Christians who are talented with great talents. Take for example-musical ability, artistic ability, athletic ability, mathematical ability etc people who were able to do great things in their life time. People like Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum- vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai whose great vision and talent led him to transform the Arab Emirates which has today become a global village and a hub for tourists. People like Thomas Edison invented the light bulb. Stephen jobs invented the apple phones. The Wright brothers to invent the airplane. And so many more who have brought peace to our world using their talents.

Gifts: are possessed only by saved people those who are members of the church which is christ’s body. An unsaved person might mimic a spiritual gift, but it is counterfeit and limited to self-activity. E.g. false prophets, false teachers etc.

5.   Talents: a man may be talented as a teacher in the public school system or a prestigious university, he may be recognized as an outstanding teacher by all of his co-workers. He may be very talented when it comes to communication skills and oratory. He may even win the teacher of the year award.

 

Gifts: this same man, upon believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, may not receive the gift of teaching. Spiritual gifts are determined by God not by any natural talents which a man may possess. If this same man should receive the gift of teaching it is above and beyond and distinct from any natural teaching talent which he had. It is something that he did not have prior to the new birth.

 

6.   Talents: for full effectiveness, talents need to be developed. A person who is naturally skilled musically must still learn to play an instrument, often demanding years of practice. Most professional athletes not only have natural talents but they have developed this talent through years of practice and hard work.

For example: Christaino Ronaldo practices around 5 times per week in Real Madrid training camp, Valdebebas, depending on the games schedule they have that week. On average, he trains around 3-4 hours per day and follows a strict diet plan. Ronaldo also assumed that he respects a lot his sleeping hours and that he likes to go to bed early at night, so he can get up early as well.

While most top runners need about 45 strides to cover 100 meters, Bolt does it in about 40. To maintain that edge, Usain bolt hits the gym-eventually-for 90minutes workouts geared toward developing explosiveness inorder to maintain his lean physique. And so many others either athletes or musicians or footballers or engineers, they spent time working extremely hard to get things done aright.

Gift: Gifts need to be exercised and this can only happen as the believers stays spiritually healthy and grows in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ 2 Peter 3:18. The proper exercise of spiritual gifts requires spiritual growth and maturity- Eph. 4:13-16.

7.   Talents: possessed by believers ought to be surrendered and consecrated to the Lord and used for his honour and glory. For example: a priest or a Rev. Sister who is talented must do so within the confines of the church and even if he must use it such talents, it ought to be used in glorifying God and salvation of mankind. Rev. Sister Cristina Sucuccia won the Italian version of the voice and she dedicated it to her congregation.

In 2014, Scuccia applied to The Voice of Italy singing competition, singing for her audition "No One” by Alicia Keys. The performance received more than 82 million views on You Tube. She was very popular with the audience and all four judges—Raffaella Carra, J-Ax, Noemi, and Piero Pelu—turned their chairs in the blind audition. Cristina chose to be part of Team J-Ax. Throughout the contest, she wore a simple crucifix around her neck, black shoes and ankle-length black religious Habit. During the show, she sang “The Cup of Life” alongside Ricky Martin and during the final; she sang a duet with Kylie Minogue on "Can’t Get you Out of My Head.” In the final, she won the trophy with 62% of the Italian votes against runner-up Giacomo Voli. After winning, she thanked God and recited the Lord’s Prayer to the show organizers and audience.

Gifts: are given by God for the outworking of God’s life as expressed by the body of Christ. When the Body is healthy the life of God is manifested and God is glorified- 1Cor. 14:24-25.

 

Over and above all else, the gospel reading today, stresses the point that 10 virgins were given talents at the same time and were to use it. But five of them used wisely and when the bridegroom came, they were ready to go in with him. Thus they earned title-wise virgins. The other virgins earned the title-foolish virgins because they were busy proscastinating, doing the blame game and didn’t want to move on with life and make good use of the talents bestowed on them.

 

Friends, we have no excuse not to make use of that which God has given us. You may be in a difficult situation at this time but that doesn’t mean you have got no talents. You have got talents-use them. you cannot change yesterday and all that went with it, but you can make today better by the choices and decisions you make. It doesn’t matter how you were born, it doesn’t matter what happened to you last year, five years or ten years ago, you may not be able to change that but you can reposition yourself today, you can make new and good decisions that will change what tomorrow will bring. You need to invent in your future, refuse to accuse the devil, change your mentality, make a decision to study hard, make good use of your time, visit and interact with people with bright and great minds.

 

Friends, the condition you find yourself in your family does not determine you. What determines you is the choices and decisions you make to make use of that which God has deposited in you. If you were born poor, that doesn’t mean you will be poor tomorrow. It’s a matter of choice and decision to be poor or wealthy.

 

Keep your eyes fixed on improving yourself everyday, keep your eyes fixed on becoming better everyday, keep your eyes fixed on doing things in newer and better ways. Sit, think, plan, strategize, implement, talk if you must and if not work hard persistently and patiently with God. Run on a low budget of the mouth-talk is cheap but donut is expensive.

 

Stop rolling on the bed, get up early, get something doing, get busy, change your ways, your poor thinking process. Wickedness and stingyness stifles and blocks your path, practice charity and goodness these are the doors ways to blessedness.

 

Don’t waste your time with people who will only try to delay you. Everyday, seek better friendships and stick to those who can add value to your life. help those in need. Grow yourself so that you may help grow those around you. Be patient with yourself as well patient with others even when it is very difficult to.

 

Think of this, you spend so much time watching television, just get busy with growing yourself so that people can also be watched by others, so that others may read about you. Never push to a later time what you know you can do today. In order words, don’t procrastinate rather make choices that will add value to your talent:

 

·      belief lifts your talent.

·      Passion energizes your talent.

·      Initiative activates your talent.

·      Focus directs your talent.

·      Preparation positions your talent.

·      Practice sharpens your talent.

·      Perseverance sustains your talent.

·      Courage tests your talent.

·      Teachability expands your talent.

·      Character protects your talent.

·      Relationships influence your talent.

·      Responsibility strengthens your talent.

·      Teamwork multiplies your talent.

 

Do something great this week and persist in that goodness. Be on the alert you never know when Christ will come. As you do all these, never forget God for the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Study the sacred scriptures for it will always inspire you and teach you what you ought to know, counsel you when in doubt, console you when you feel lonely. Affirm you when you are afraid. Motivate you when persecuted.

 

I pray this day, that the Lord may inspire us more and more to do that which is pleasing to God and enable us to be ready to meet him when he comes we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.