How many times have we heard that phrase?  It’s true in so many areas of our life – exercise, foreign language, anything to do with strength or skill.  But it’s also biblical…

Remember the story in the bible about the talents in Matthew 25?  It’s a parable about a boss who entrusted talents (in this case, money) to three men.  Two of the three men used and invested those talents and doubled their money.  But the third guy, out of fear, buried his.

The boss came back a while later to see how these guys had done with what he’d given them.  The first two received high praise for how they used their talents and in turn were given more talents and blessings and the privilege of sharing the joy with their boss.

The third guy didn’t fare so well.  He told his boss that he was afraid of him and that he would take what he’d given him away, so he buried his talent.  Never using it.  Never doubling it.  Just left it hidden and dormant.  Needless to say, the boss was not thrilled with this.  Because the third guy didn’t not value and share and use his gift, it was taken away.

Verse 28 says – “Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.  For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance.  Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.”

God has blessed my family with a beautiful house.  But it’s not enough for me to just take good care of it, clean it well and decorate it.  That would be no different than burying my treasure.  I need to be using it for the good of others.  I need to use this home as a place to demonstrate God’s love and acceptance to anyone and everyone who walks through my doors.  I need to be deliberate about how I use this gift.

Or the same is true of my skills.  If I am working on them and “perfecting” them and making them pretty, but am still not investing in others with them, then what is the point?  I need to use my hospitality or my writing or my decorating to show people Jesus.  Otherwise they are just useless treasures that hold no value.

God specifically gifted each of us.  It’s our choice if we want to bury what we’ve been given by hoarding it, hiding it or if we want to share it, increase it, live out it’s true value and watch it grow. It’s our choice.  Use it or lose it…