I must not conceal the gift of God, which He so freely bestowed on me in the land where I was captive.

  - Patrick, Confession (British, 5th century)

"He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground.'"

  - Matthew 25.24, 25

What gifts has God given to us "so freely"? Forgiveness of sins and eternal life. The Holy Spirit, with His power for witness, fruit, and ministry skills. Insight to and understanding of His Word. A community of like-minded believers. A Personal Mission Field unique to each one of us. Opportunities for redeeming the time every day of our lives. Daily provision of all our needs.

What God gives He invests. What He invests He expects to bring a return. The return He is seeking is blessing to others resulting in praise and glory to His Name.

God's investment in us only pays dividends when we put it to work. It doesn't matter how few our gifts may be, or how small our Mission Field. God has placed us there and endowed us with gifts, abilities, and opportunities which He expects us to develop and put to work, for the praise of the glory of His grace.

Patrick understood that, and he spent his entire adult life declaring the gift of salvation which God had so freely given to him. Untold thousands were converted and a revival lasting some four centuries followed from his investment.

We cannot deny that God has given us many good gifts. But do we know why? Merely for our own satisfaction and enjoyment? Hardly. We are called to channel the blessings of God to the people around us so that they can join us in knowing, loving, and serving Him.

But if we conceal our gifts through lack of diligence in developing them, or because we are afraid of what others might think, or we're just too busy doing other things to think about such opportunities for serving the Lord, then we not only conceal our gifts, but we despise and jeapordize them. In Jesus' parable the man who buried his talent in the ground was rejected and cast out. How can we persuade the Lord of our love for Him if we despise His gifts and refuse to invest them for others' blessing and His glory?

The prospect should give us pause: We might be deceiving ourselves about our eternal status. Concealing God's gifts is poor stewardship and a repudiation of His plan to bless the world.

Let's be sure we're not concealing what God has "so freely" given to us.

If you need help identifying God's gifts to you, mapping out your Personal Mission Field, or growing in your love for the Lord, we can help. Spiritual Maturity 1: Revival is the course for you. You'll be challenged to grow and invest your gifts in ways you never have before. You will not regard your Christian life in the same way once you have completed this course. "Practicing the Kingship of Jesus" will redefine who you are in the Lord, and will begin to fit you for a life of devoted service in His Name.

Don't conceal God's gifts. Look at what God did with Patrick - a high school dropout and runaway slave! Think what He might be able to do through you (Eph. 3.20).

T. M. Moore, Principal

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