The Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25:14-30
What Are You Doing with What God Gave You?
Matthew 25:14–30
Many believers today are living below their God-given potential—not because they lack gifts, but because they fail to use what God has entrusted to them. Some feel inadequate. Others are afraid of failing. Many compare themselves to others instead of faithfully serving where they are. Like the servant who buried his talent, they allow fear, laziness, excuses, or a misunderstanding of God’s character to stop them from being fruitful.
The church needs to be reminded that God expects each of us to do something with what we have—not to hide it, ignore it, or waste it. What is needed in this hour is a rediscovery of faithfulness, courage, and stewardship—a willingness to trust God's goodness and actively use our time, abilities, and resources for His glory and the growth of His kingdom.
THE PARABLE EXPLAINED: Matthew 25:14–30
In Matthew 25:14–30, Jesus tells the Parable of the Talents. A master prepares to go on a journey and entrusts his wealth to three servants. He gives five talents to the first servant, two to the second, and one to the third, each according to their ability. The first two servants invest their talents and double what they were given. When the master returns, he commends them with the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” and gives them greater responsibility. The third servant, driven by fear, buries his talent and returns it unchanged. The master rebukes him, calling him wicked and lazy, takes away the talent, and casts him into outer darkness. Jesus ends the parable with a strong warning that those who use what they have been given will be rewarded, but those who do nothing will lose even what they have.
WHAT THE PARABLE REPRESENTS
This parable is rich with meaning. The master represents God or Jesus, the servants represent believers, and the talents represent the gifts, opportunities, resources, time, faith, and abilities that God has entrusted to each of us. The master’s return symbolizes Jesus’ second coming and final judgment. One of the first truths we learn is that everyone has been given something. No servant was empty-handed. In the same way, God has given each of us something valuable—a voice, time, compassion, resources, creativity, faith, or testimony. The problem is never the amount we have been given; the problem is whether we use it or hide it.
FAITHFULNESS OVER COMPARISON
Another powerful lesson is that God does not measure us by comparison but by faithfulness. The servant with five talents and the one with two talents received the exact same praise. God did not say, “Well done, servant with more,” but rather “Well done, good and faithful servant.” What matters to God is not how much we have, but how faithful we are with what we have been given. We waste so much time comparing ourselves to others, when heaven is simply asking, “Are you using what I put in your hands?”
THE REAL FAILURE: A WRONG VIEW OF GOD
The failure of the third servant was not caused by how little he had but by how wrongly he viewed his master. He said, “I knew you were a harsh man.” His problem was not lack of talent—it was a wrong understanding of the master’s character. Today, many believers are the same. They see God as harsh, unloving, distant, demanding, or impossible to please. With such a mindset, fear replaces faith, and they hold back instead of stepping forward. But the master in the parable was not cruel—he entrusted each servant with something valuable according to their ability. God knows our capacity, and He never sets us up to fail.
THE ENEMY OF FRUITFULNESS: FEAR
Fear is one of the greatest enemies of fruitfulness. The third servant said, “I was afraid, so I hid your talent.” Fear kept him from trying. Fear of failing, fear of judgment, and fear of not being good enough—all of these can paralyze believers today. Instead of investing their gifts, they bury them. They stay silent when they should speak, hide when they should step out, and hesitate when they should serve. But fear will never be an acceptable excuse before God. He rewards effort, obedience, and faithfulness—not inactivity.
MISUSING WHAT GOD GAVE
Another reality is that some believers are not just burying their gifts—they are misusing them. Voices meant to glorify God are used for worldly entertainment. Resources meant for the Kingdom are used only for personal gain. Gifts meant to edify the church are used to elevate self. God did not give us talents for selfish ambition, comfort, or ego—He gave them to build His Kingdom.
THE DAY OF ACCOUNTABILITY
One day, the master returned to settle accounts, and Jesus will do the same. Each of us will give an account for how we used what God placed in our hands. The question on that day will not be, “How much did you have?” but “What did you do with what I gave you?” God is not looking for the most talented, the loudest, or the most visible; He is looking for the most faithful.
So today, the question is personal: What has God given you? Are you using it for His Kingdom and glory, or have you buried it in fear, excuses, and comparison? Many of us are like the third servant—not because we have little, but because we’ve hidden much. The call of this parable is not to admire the faithful servants, but to become one. God is ready to say, “Well done,” but He is waiting for us to step out, invest, serve, and trust Him. May we not be counted among those who buried their calling. Instead, may we rise with courage, faith, and obedience, using whatever God has placed in our hands—big or small—for His glory. And when the Master returns, may we be found faithful.
A PERSONAL QUESTION TO THE BELIEVER
A CLOSING CALL TO ACTION
Many of us today are just like the third servant—not because we have nothing, but because we’ve convinced ourselves that what we have is too small, too insignificant, or too risky to use. We hide our gifts in fear, bury our opportunities in excuses, and silence our testimonies because we are afraid of failing, being judged, or stepping out of our comfort zone. Some of us haven’t buried our talent because we lack ability but because we’ve believed the lie that what we carry doesn’t matter. The issue is not the size of the gift, but the decision to either use it or hide it. But hear this clearly: God is not asking you to do what others are doing—He is asking you to be faithful with what He has given you. Some of us have one talent, some have two, and others have five. The number doesn’t matter. God will not reward us based on how much we had, but on what we did with it.
KEY LESSONS WE MUST NOT MISS
- Everyone Has Something to Use
Nobody was left empty-handed. In the parable, every servant received something. No believer can say, “God didn’t give me anything.” Whether it is a gift, a voice, a resource, compassion, influence, creativity, or a testimony—you have something. - Faithfulness Matters More Than Comparison
The servant with two talents received the same praise as the one with five. God does not measure greatness by size but by faithfulness. Your assignment is not to outdo others but to be faithful with your portion. - Fear Is Not an Excuse
The third servant wasn’t condemned for stealing—he was judged for doing nothing. God would rather see you try, fail, grow, and rise again than bury what He gave you. Fear is not a justification for inactivity. - Our View of God Shapes Our Response
The unfaithful servant acted out of fear because he believed his master was harsh. When you see God as distant, demanding, or unpleasable, you will hold back. But when you know Him as loving, gracious, and trustworthy, you will step out in obedience. - There Will Be Accountability and Reward
Jesus is coming back, and He will ask each of us what we did with what we were given. Those who were faithful will enter His joy and receive more. Those who did nothing will lose even the little they had.
A HEART-CHECKING QUESTION
What has God placed in your hands, and are you using it—or burying it?
- Are you using your voice to encourage?
- Are you using your testimony to witness?
- Are you using your time to serve?
- Are you using your resources to build the Kingdom?
- Are you growing your gift or hiding it?
The danger today is not ignorance—it is inactivity. God is not looking for the most talented but the most faithful. Like the first two servants, may we be found working, serving, growing, investing, and trusting—so that when He returns, we too will hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
