TALENTS, EACH ONE ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN ABILITY.

The word “Talents” today refers to personal abilities to perform or do a task. God has made each person in their special contribution to the whole. You may ask what is a whole? It is the sum of the components to make a whole. The whole could be all the mechanisms for a motor, a machine of any sort with specific abilities.

You may hear the term in sports or industry that a person is a machine. They are able to perform. Meaning that there is a noticeable, measurable effect form effort.

in terms of society, we have many mechanisms. That we have sectors and subdivisions. This broken down into talents anymore however unfortunate for us, has blurred the definition, objective and purpose for a talent because people do tremendous tasks by pushing buttons. So we are not talking about that.

The whole idea of talents even today means abilities and more so, special abilities that are unique to a specific person, or persons unique abilities to a trade. It is called a “trade” because with a trade people can do a trade or exchange for for goods and services.

But you see money has not always been the “medium” used for the trading of goods and services and the reason scripture uses the word “Talents” as a payment to render for others goods and services.

We have an example in from Matthew 25. 14-29, of a rich man “who distributed his goods to his servants” for them to multiply their talents and upon his return he commended them for increasing his product.

The point here is that the word “talent” today remains the same. It refers to a purposeful use and contribution to the fabric of families, business, communities and societies as a whole. The term money just became a means of trade. And it starting with scribbling on paper as a form of keeping track (book Keeping). But in the beginning the note itself was only a reminder but otherwise worthless. In all truth, the only reason money today has any more value than the notes back in the day, is because people believe it is so. but back to our topic of talents and contributions, because the world would be a whole lot better if we traded our talents locally without all the tools and instruments of the day.

With that being said we ask, what is a healthy Biblical perspective of a healthy community system? Because even the Biblical instructions spoke of talents and trade in terms of abilities and NOT cash.

Christ said “Money is the root of all evil” and “you cannot serve God and Mammon” because they are competing objectives. The purpose of talents is for people to contribute to the whole based upon their strengths and likenesses. Meaning they like to do a trade because they are good at it and not just because  they can make a lot of money.

Another element that should be part of community and society is continued personal development, that one may grow “each according to their ability, desire and effort. Keeping in mind that we are all in a process of change, and the reason our Heavenly Father has given us this time frame. Ultimately this carnal experience will come to a close, and what you have acquired in personal development and acquiring relationships is the only things you get to keep.

Remember the words of Peter? Your money perishes with you” because they thought the gift of God could be bought with money and Mammon the God of this age. Perishes with you indicates that whatever you have aquired subjectively on this side for dishonest gain, will likely catch on fire a flurry of regrets in your soul.

The moral of this story is that we are to build community by assembling people first. Even as Christ said that “we are living stones built together a habitation of God in the Spirit”. And Gods currency is love first because “all the law and the prophets rest on two things. You shall love God with all your heart, mind and soul. And you should love your neighbor as yourself. Whoever does these things fulfills all the laws of God, Old Testament and New Testament.

So practically speaking, when building with people, be it for family, community, business and such, you must use these principle if for no other reason, God will bless you. Even as scripture says “if God is for us, who could be against us. For He who spared not His only Begotten Son but delivered Him for us all, how shall He not freely give us all things??

We have this analogy from scripture for building and assembling. That “we are living stones being built up a habitation of God in the spirit”. When this is our frame of mind, it is equal to our sanctification, meaning protection and covering of God. Even as the Israelite’s traveled through the wilderness with the Fire by night and a cloud by day”, and as we see the Holy Spirit in Christ saying “Oh how I have wanted to brood over you as a Mother Hen broods over her chicks”. So too, God will bless those whose endeavors are as such. Each one according to their abilities and efforts, each one given the ability to excell and grow, each one working together mutually for these means.