The Parable of the Talents

“Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour. For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The one who had received five talents went off right away and put his money to work and gained five more. In the same way, the one who had two gained two more. But the one who had received one talent went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money in it. - Matthew 25:13-18

In this parable, Jesus talks about three men who were given large sums of money by their masters. The man who was given five, used it to earn five more and the man who was given three, too doubled is net worth. However, the final man who was given just one, buried it away out of fear and probably laziness, earning nothing.

Although there is the more easily discernible lesson of not being lazy and not being idle, especially when Jesus is set for a second coming, there is a quieter lesson if you read carefully. The one thing I noticed is that each man, never earned more than what he was given. With five talents, five more were made, and with three more, three more were made. God never gives us more than what we can handle. Maybe he wants you to do something little in the beginning, it is still worth a lot because you are creating something little with little. As time progresses and so does our spiritual walk with God, perhaps he'll give us more to do because we're more equipped. The important thing is this: God will not ask you to make seven talents in return if you only have two. God will always equip you with what is necessary and though sometimes we don't feel ready, God will prepare us further down the track.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says - "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."

The word temptation, actually also means trial or challenge. God is there to make up for where our strength fails and will only give us the task if we can handle it. It may not be an easy task, but it is not an impossible one either. Moses initially was fearful and did not have the power to free the people from Egypt, but when God shows him the way, affirms and tells Moses of his plan, Moses was able to free the people. Now Moses did not have the power to do this on his own and so God supplied the supernatural aspect through the plagues and all the things that struck Egypt BUT Moses still had to do the things that God asked and that was not easy. He had to tell the Israelites to support him and be ready for God's coming, he had to stand up to the King of one of the strongest nations and plunge himself with confidence into danger to set God's people free. So he was capable of doing those things, God would never let him go there and leave him impotently to simply be executed by Pharaoh.

So what am I trying to say? No task has been set for you for the sole purpose of you failing it. All the tasks given to us are going to be a challenge, but never beyond what we can take. It will also never be beyond what God can take, so we can always call out to Him. For we can do all things through Him who strengthens us.