Time, Talent, & Treasure

I often struggle with understanding why I'm here.  

What's God’s plan for me? 

How can I use the knowledge and skills that I have to honor Him?  

Some people have it figured out.  They sing in the choir. They help with the children.  They become missionaries in Africa.

We talk a lot in church about using our time, talent, and treasure to serve and honor God.  This past week we hosted several missionaries at church and Wednesday night we went to listen to some of our mission partners speak.  Even though I am not called to be a missionary and I’ll most likely never go on a mission trip, I still want to help and be a part of God’s work and mission throughout the world.

The question is, how? 

How can I use my time, talent, and treasure to help our mission partners around the world? 

Well, I can use my time, talent, and treasure.

You see, just because you and I are not literally in a foreign country serving as a missionary, we can still help.

Here’s how:

Time:  We can use our time serving in other ministries.  This frees up others to use their time to serve in the mission field.  Not only that, but we can use our time at our day jobs to earn money (treasure) to give to missions.

Talent:  Again, we can use our talent at our day jobs to earn money to give to missions so that missionaries can use their talent to serve God.  We can also use our talent to serve in other ministries that we are called to serve in.  The same as when we use our time in other ministries, when we use our talent in other ministries, other people are freed up to serve in their ministry, missions.

Treasure:  As I said earlier, our treasure can go to missions since that is a place we may not be called to serve.  Giving our treasure to other ministries also serves the same function as giving our time and talent to other ministries as it allows others to serve where they are truly called.

You see, using your time, talent, and treasure is all connected.  You can’t just choose one, it must be all three.

We use our gifts to serve in one area so that someone else can use their gifts to serve in other areas.

This reminds me of what the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12, that we are one body with many parts and that each part serves a specific function.

We are all needed and we all serve a purpose.

Find your purpose.

Go.  Be the body of Christ.  Be the Church.