"He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine."
Matthew 25:22-25
This is near the end of the parable of the talents, and here the Lord says to his servant "well done" when he gained two more talents, and the servant that had received only one just buried it and gave it back. Now, an important aspect of this parable is the fact that the Lord of the servants gave them some of his own money. It wasn't wages or anything they had earned. He gave it to "every man according to his several ability." It was an investment, given as a stewardship, for them to watch over that which was his, and build it up.
And so it is with us, right? The parable isn't really about money, or stuff, or even earthly talents, although it could incorporate any of those. It is about building the kingdom of God. Everything we have is from the Lord, and he asks us to take care of it for him, and build it up. Even we are his in a lot of ways, for we are "bought with a price" (1 Corinthians 6:20, 7:23). And God wants us to build ourselves and each other up as well--he has invested in us, and with that help/talent he has given us, we have the opportunity to become much greater than we currently are--to reach for godliness and perfection.
Today, whatever our stewardships, big or tiny, let's get busy growing ourselves, helping the people around us, and building up the Lord's kingdom. Let's not be too scared to use the power and talents and faith and love and opportunities that God has given us. Let's not crawl into a hole or go into hermit mode, tempting as it may be sometimes when faced with the scary world. Let's instead increase our reach and touch other people's lives, and improve whatever parts of the world we come into contact with. Let's make a difference, no matter how small. Even if it is only to one person, "how great will be [our] joy" (D&C 18:16).
His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine."
Matthew 25:22-25
This is near the end of the parable of the talents, and here the Lord says to his servant "well done" when he gained two more talents, and the servant that had received only one just buried it and gave it back. Now, an important aspect of this parable is the fact that the Lord of the servants gave them some of his own money. It wasn't wages or anything they had earned. He gave it to "every man according to his several ability." It was an investment, given as a stewardship, for them to watch over that which was his, and build it up.
And so it is with us, right? The parable isn't really about money, or stuff, or even earthly talents, although it could incorporate any of those. It is about building the kingdom of God. Everything we have is from the Lord, and he asks us to take care of it for him, and build it up. Even we are his in a lot of ways, for we are "bought with a price" (1 Corinthians 6:20, 7:23). And God wants us to build ourselves and each other up as well--he has invested in us, and with that help/talent he has given us, we have the opportunity to become much greater than we currently are--to reach for godliness and perfection.
Today, whatever our stewardships, big or tiny, let's get busy growing ourselves, helping the people around us, and building up the Lord's kingdom. Let's not be too scared to use the power and talents and faith and love and opportunities that God has given us. Let's not crawl into a hole or go into hermit mode, tempting as it may be sometimes when faced with the scary world. Let's instead increase our reach and touch other people's lives, and improve whatever parts of the world we come into contact with. Let's make a difference, no matter how small. Even if it is only to one person, "how great will be [our] joy" (D&C 18:16).
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