Recently, my father was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. He’s never smoked, never vaped, and has zero family history. And while his diagnosis is a heavy topic and something that does need to be talked about. It is not the subject of this blog. I introduced the topic because, for Thanksgiving, my husband and I, along with my brother and his family, visited him. It was a beautiful time of reconnection, learning lessons, and listening to wisdom about life from someone who experienced it first-hand. In one of those listening sessions, my father, talking to me about my photography, said this: “God gives us gifts and talents.” Gifts are spiritual for edification, the building up of the church, and the spreading of the gospel, like the ones discussed in Ephesians.

Ephesians 4:11-13, “Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

Talents, however, are something that God gives and does take away. They are physical abilities like being good at math, having steady hands for surgery, knowing how to solve a Rubik’s Cube, and, yes, of course, having an eye for photography. Today, while doing my devotion, this conversation with my dad came to mind, and I remembered the parable of the talents, Matthew 25:14-30. Yes, I know that in the context of the parable, “talent” means money. But stick with me, I have a point, I swear.

The master gave talents to his servants based on their ability (verse 15). To one he gave ten, that servant earned ten more. To the one he gave two talents, that servant also doubled his talents, earning two more. However, the one he gave only one talent, buried it, and did nothing with it. We can bury them, sit them on a shelf, letting them collect dust, wasting what God has given us.

Talents are to be used in the service of the one who blessed us with them. Talents are practical, helpful, and God gives them for a purpose. Have you been praying, asking God to bless you, to move, do something, anything? What if His answer is, I have given you the talent needed for that blessing. Friends, don’t sit on your talents, don’t bury them. Use them. God gave them to you for a purpose.

Today, I am thankful for the talents God has given me.