Recently, I was speaking to a young person. I said,
“You have so much talent. How will you use it?”
He was writing exams.
“Do you know why you aim to do your best?”
Silence.
I drew him to the Word of GOD:
“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.” (1 Corinthians 9:24)
Not everyone will win, but GOD calls us all to run hard, run full-out, run as though to win.
That’s all He wants: for us to do our best, as though we will win first prize.
In fact, He offers three prizes
In the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, there are three servants.
The master gives according to what each servant can handle: 5, 2 and 1 talent respectively. Each is given the challenge to manage the talents well until he returns.
He only wants these servants to use what they have, and to use it well. They are not competing with each other, but only “running” to challenge themselves. And yet, one fails, bitterly.
What will you do with your talents?
That is an important question, which we each must answer as we journey through life, with opportunities coming to us from time to time.
We can — and do — take an account of what we have and work how how to use what we have to make a living, make the most of the gift, find enjoyment, economy, value I the gift.
But that is a fairly shallow question.
The real question is, “Why run the race at all?”
Life will be as fulfilling, as enriching, as meaningful and productive, as rewarding to the measure we use the gifts He’s given us. Skills are great! And important. But how well we acquire those skills will be relative to our talents and abilities (as well as the opportunities and education we are given).
GOD has given us responsibility to use what we have from Him.
Take your pick
Whether you run “because you can” or you run “because GOD has instructed” — you still run!
Dropping out is not an option. Neither is “having a go”.
We run the race to honour GOD and all He has give us. And as we run it fully, so we will be fulfilled.