There has been this college ad running everywhere that says “the world in which we live equally distributes talent.” However, the parable of the talents tells us otherwise. (Matthew 25:14-30) Such falsehoods lead us to compare ourselves to the most talented people, which kills our faith in ourselves as God’s creation faster than anything. (2nd Corinthians 10:12-18) This has only escalated in the Information Age since we see all the top of the field thrust in the limelight. Often leading us to not bother, thinking we can’t compete with the best of the best. But since when is the kingdom of God a competition? However, the initial distribution of talent should be irrelevant, since regardless of what we start with, the parable also reveals that talent can be multiplied and improved. A person of lesser talent can easily outperform a more talented person if they simply put in more effort. As a local trade school used to advertise forty years ago. “It takes more than talent.” A truth the impatient don’t appreciate. So level of talent is not a valid excuse.
There is another truth that seems to escape many in and out of the church. That being, the world does not equally value talent. Not every skill will make you a celebrity or earn you a 100k salary. So basing our success on worldly virtues, or on envy factor isn’t necessarily going to lead us in the right direction since it’s more about self than holiness. God will unlikely bless that, so our efforts are bound to fail. Such failures often lead us to project the opposite extreme on the next generation. A work to exist only mantra. While it may have the appearance of being more responsible than living for self, we were still meant to live for so much more. People do not live on bread alone, and there is more to holiness than just righteousness. Until we realize this, worldly standards of both extremes will infiltrate our lives. Meaning we will shun the talents God has really given us simply because no part of the world around us values them the way we want. Despite that being set apart for purpose is a key part of holiness. Regardless of what scripture reveals about spiritual gifts, as well as the structure of the church. (Body of Christ) Even with scripture revealing all this, the church still often exalts some gifts above others as the world does, and often values practicality over faith. Like I said upfront, we often have a better idea of where our talents lie. We just can’t see the value in them since we are looking at them through the eyes of the world, not God’s kingdom.
. . .But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. -1st Corinthians 12:24a-25
So if you have ever used the excuse of "I don’t know what my purpose is" or "I don’t have any talent." I urge you to take a long hard look at yourself then humble yourself before God. He may not address the issue of purpose directly, but rather in the underlying issues further back in the cycle of holiness, like righteousness and wholeness. So as I said in a previous post, expect anything when you pray, not just an easy-to-swallow answer wrapped in a bow. A person who lacks wholeness or righteousness will naturally have a hard time accepting God's truth about what we are really set apart for if they don’t align with worldly notions about life. Ultimately the transformative cycle of holiness is there to prepare us for purpose, or build the foundation for our mission. A mission that leads others to the same wholeness that leads to your purpose. So I urge you yet again, don’t get ahead of yourselves. Focus on the damaged and incomplete parts of your heart, then the purpose you were set apart for will start to come into focus.
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