How not to waste your talents?

I regularly get the question whether everything works out in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: no paid clergy, so everyone can just do or say something during the speeches? Today I saw again how someone can say something fantastic in all simplicity, so that there is a valuable lesson for those who listen carefully. This is how I learned a completely new meaning of the parable of the talents today, even though that parable was not even mentioned.

For those unfamiliar with the parable: it is in the New Testament, Matthew chapter 25 verses 14 to 30. Until today, this was for me the story that God expects us to get to work with what He has given us. Talents is a fantastic word because the parable literally refers to money (a talent was a currency unit at the time), but actually refers to the talents with which we are endowed.

For me, the meaning was rather self-centered. I have received talents, so I must get to work with them. I also found confirmation of what is taught in Luke 12:48 is taught: to whom much is given, much will be required. So I think it's normal that if you have certain talents, you use them well. In my eyes, it would be a waste, a sin, of what God has given you.

But I had never realized that it is also implicitly said for whom you should get to work. Not in this parable itself, but in the entire gospel. In Mark 12:30-31 it states very literally: 

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. This is the first commandment.

And the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.

Talents to help

Brother Koudjou shared today in church, in his unique African way, that this is one of the most important reasons why he is still here today: brothers and sisters who used their talents to help him when he was going through a difficult time.

Whoever knows me and regularly reads my pieces knows that my favorite verse in Mosiah 2:17 to read is: he who is in the service of his fellow man, is in the service of God. Service is also the core of the gospel for me. So, in itself, little new, but I had never directly connected it with the parable of the talents.

Together it thus forms one beautiful whole. We are blessed with talents and we therefore know that he who is blessed with many talents has the task to give much back and to use all his talents, not aimlessly but very purposefully: to help his neighbors.

What is my talent?

Everything therefore starts with the question: what is my talent with which I can help someone? Never underestimate yourself. I don't believe anyone who says "I have no talent". It is often the soft talents, what non-believers would call human, social skills, that can be most useful in helping someone.

Just now I told my son Lucas, who is feeling nauseous and sick today and therefore couldn't go to church, that he received greetings and well wishes from Pieter, one of his peers in church. Lucas literally perked up and said he found it very pleasant that someone thought of him. I saw that it was literally what Lucas needed now: just some attention.

So perhaps you have a talent for thinking of others. Or for listening, or a strong shoulder to cry on. Maybe you are someone with a lot of life experience and can therefore give good advice. Another might not be so good at such things, but knows very well how much help can come if the laundry is done for a busy mother who falls ill.

I can go on for hours with examples I've already seen in our Mormon church community. Small things, which may escape the eye of the world, but certainly not the eye of our Heavenly Father.

Not everyone can do everything at once

People often think that these are standard things expected of them or that they must (be able to) do all those things cited as examples when we talk about what it means to be a Christian. But the Scriptures clearly present it differently: first, look for your talents and put them to use. That way, you will notice your talents grow and you will discover others.

Ideally, the world would be if we all had the time to only serve each other, but we haven't been there for long. Therefore, I don't want to make a sappy appeal to play "improve the world on your own". I do think we can all move a stone in the river if we open ourselves to see which talent we can extra use for someone else this week.

Row with the oars you have. Maybe you won't get far, but it's much easier for God to steer a boat that's at least moving a little forward than when it's anchored still on the water. A boat that gains strength with one stroke of the oar drifts a long way further, perhaps far enough to meet another rower or to take over itself.

So perhaps put this earworm in your head to help you remember this week to use one of your talents:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP2YeTw7zWo