The Parable of the Talents

The Parable of the Talents is a story from the Bible, found in the book of Matthew, chapter 25, verses 14-30. In the parable, a master entrusts his servants with different amounts of money, called talents, while he goes away. Two of the servants invest and double their talents, but the third servant buries his talent out of fear. When the master returns, he rewards the first two servants for their efforts but punishes the third one for not using his talent wisely.

The parable offers some valuable lessons for us today including the importance of using our abilities and resources wisely and not letting fear hold us back:

1. Take Initiative: The first two servants took initiative and put their talents to work, showing the importance of being proactive with our resources and opportunities. Each one of us has been blessed with unique gifts and talents in varying quantities according to our abilities which we should put to good use. The talents we receive are in direct proportion to our abilities. This means that as we increase our abilities through education and experience, we shall receive more resources.

Also, note that the master didn't explicitly tell the servants what to do. He just expected them to figure it out. So don't sit and wait for someone to tell you what to do with your talents. Just get up and figure it out!

2. Responsibility: Each servant was given talents to manage, highlighting the importance of being responsible stewards of what we have, whether it's money, skills, or time. Everything we own is a gift and we should use it prudently. It matters not whether our endowments are large or little, we have to use them all in the service of God and fellow humanity.

3. Invest Wisely: The servants who invested their talents wisely were rewarded, emphasizing the importance of making smart financial decisions and not squandering opportunities for growth. The parable provides two options to invest our money. We can actively invest in businesses and trade and get a profit or simply put the money in a passive investment like a fixed deposit or unit trust and earn interest. Living the money idle is wasteful and sinful. The returns or profits we receive are in direct proportion to the capital we deploy. If we invest more we shall receive more.

The parable also hints at having a long-term mindset when it comes to investing. The master only returns after a long time to check on his servants. This means that if we focus on the long term rather than the short term we stand to multiply our investments.

We also see that the successful servants are given more responsibility and mastery over many things. Hard work and diligence with the resources we have can elevate even the most lowly of persons to great heights and honors in life.

4. Overcome Fear: The third servant's fear held him back from taking action, reminding us not to let fear paralyze us but to instead take calculated risks in pursuit of our goals. The parable reminds us of the perils of allowing fear to hold us back. If we are afraid to take action even the little we have shall be taken away and given to more productive people. This explains why the rich seem to get richer and the poor become poorer in our society. This phenomenon is often referred to as the Mathew Effect.

We should also be careful with a scarcity mindset as highlighted in the story. The third servant received only one talent and felt sorry for himself and did nothing with what he was given. The parable reminds us that we should be faithful with the little we have and we shall receive the full reward in good time. We should also not despise investing little sums thinking the profits will be meaningless. A little invested consistently over a long period of time can compound to large amounts.

5. Accountability: The master held his servants accountable for their actions, teaching us the importance of being accountable for our financial decisions and actions. The parable reminds us that we reap what we sow. Our financial well-being is entirely dependent on how we use the resources bestowed upon us. The resources available to us include time, energy, gifts, talents, knowledge, and income in different amounts for everyone. We don't control how much we receive, we only control what we do with the resources we have been given. A man's energies, gifts, and capacities, are the "talents," for the use of which he will have to render an account.

The lazy and unprofitable servant receives harsh punishment for his neglect, idleness, and omission of duty. This is a very fearful thought. Men endeavour to screen themselves from blame by minimizing their talents, ability, opportunities; this parable unveils the flimsiness of this pretence, shows that all have responsibilities, and are answerable for the use they make of the graces and faculties, be they never so small, which they possess.

Overall, the parable encourages us to make the most of what we've been given, to invest wisely, and to overcome fear and hesitation in pursuit of our goals and responsibilities.