Walking through the halls of my school I see all sorts of people. Both genders, all shapes and sizes, They all have something about them that's special. Some are brilliant artists, or a virtuoso with music, my point is that they all have talents that they exercise in one way or another.
We all have something that we're skilled at, we might have been born with it or earned it with hard practice. It might be a sport like football or soccer, you might be musically inclined, or great at talking to people. We're all given gifts great and small.
What happens if we don't use those talents? if the star football player stopped going to his practices, the master pianist didn't practice her concert music before the big concert? Their skills would dull and tarnish.
This is why if we want to be great at something we practice, because the more we do it the better we are. Malcolm Gladwell wrote in his book the "Outliers" that it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert at anything and someone said that it takes one million bad words to write one good one.
This goes for any craft and as we practice at it our talents become better and better and we grow in our skill. In my Church we are given a commandment to work hard at whatever we do.
In Matthew 25: 14-30 Christ gives the parable of talents.
14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
The two who had received both 5 and 2 talents traded and used their talents to double their talents but the third servant hid his talent in the earth and did nothing with it.
And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou 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.
22 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.
23 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.
24 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:
26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
The two who had increased upon the talents gained a great reward but the servant who had hid his talent and hadn't even tried to increase it was punished.
The way I see it the servants who had increased their talents had practiced and practiced their abilities until by the time the master had come back they were twice as good as they were. The servant who hid his talent, expected that if he practice once a week and stayed just as good as he was his master would reward him.
We can't hide our talents and expect to get better, we need to put the time in to get better. everyone has their talents and if they put in the effort they can get better.
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