God does not distribute his gifts equally among all his children. Rather, to some he gives much and to others he gives little. Some are given great opportunities while others are given minimal opportunities, and some are given massive wealth while others are given paltry wealth or even straight-out poverty. Some have towering intellects while others are well below average, and some are able to receive a world-class education while others are able to receive no education at all. God, in his sovereignty, determines all of this.
The God who distributes his gifts unequally evaluates us fairly. He evaluates us on the basis of what he has given to us, not what he has given to another. To the one who has been given much, God expects much while to the one who has been given less, God expects less. The one whom God has created to be simple-minded is not expected to write great works or preach great sermons. The one who has been given little wealth is not expected to fund great institutions or support great missionary ventures. Rather, we are each to be faithful with what God has given to us so that the impoverished widow who gives two pennies receives the same commendation as the rich man who gives billions. I am convinced eternity will show that some of the people who honored God most fully by making the best of their gifts were all the while entirely unnoticed by the likes of you and me.
I was recently considering God’s gifts and pondering this: I have known Christians who have great gifts but low faithfulness. God has given them much and it is apparent that they are making little of it. They are five-talent people who in that great accounting may be explaining to God how they took all five—or four, at least—and hid them in the ground. “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. Here, you have what is yours” (Matthew 25:24-25).
I have also known men who have few gifts but great faithfulness. God has given them little and it is apparent that they are making much of it. They are one-talent people who in that great accounting may be explaining to God how they faithfully invested that small amount and doubled it. “Master, you delivered to me one talent; here, I have made one talent more” (25:20).
Some have been given great wealth but cling to it tightly while others have been given little wealth but spread it around plentifully. Some live in great mansions but rarely open their doors while others live in tiny homes but extend hospitality with generosity. Some have great natural speaking ability but prepare sermons lazily while others are shy and hesitant but apply themselves diligently. In other words, some make little of much and others make much of little.
It would be strange and probably thoughtless for any of us to approach another person and share our belief that they are among the ones to whom God has given little. Yet pondering all of this makes me want to raise a cheer for them—for those who know themselves to be of few gifts but great faithfulness. It makes me want to commend the ones who know God has not given to them as much as he may have given to others but who have received what he has assigned to them with contentment and who have determined that they will make the absolute most of it. It makes me want to say a “well done” to those who have decided that instead of resenting what God has not given them they will embrace what he has given them, and steward it with faithfulness. For these are the ones who please him, who honor him, and who magnify his name.
