"Faint Not; For The Sake Of Others"

A talent; 'Talantiaios' or 'Talanton': A weight of measurement; something weighed; The scale of Balance. An actual Talent of money, or gold, would have weighed about seventy pounds; but whatever it's exact value, in the reference of what Jesus was speaking, it meant a large sum of money. When we are given a 'Talent', or 'Talents' from our Lord, these are valuable gifts or things of value which we are given to be used for His Kingdom. Some are given much, and some are given little; but each is required to use these 'Talents' for the sake of others. In other words, what we are given is meant to be shared; and in so doing, they are then multiplied. Now, when it comes to the question of whether a trial can be considered as a Talent, I have no doubt in my mind that it is so; because, for some people, that is all they are given; How so? Well, I have met, read about, and have heard about people who have suffered tremendously, or who might have been even born with major disabilities; who have nothing else to share except the Hope they have in Christ through their adversity. This is their testimony of Christ to others! And people take notice! People who might only have the gleam in their eyes to express the Joy in their hearts, and the Hope that they process. So for those, the Talent that they have been given is the trial that they have been dealt. Now, when it comes to the rest of us, our witness of our Faith is measured by our reaction to the trials that we face. This really is not that hard to understand. There is a point at which we are given a testing of our Faith, by whatever circumstance that may be; but it is enough to make us count more upon Jesus than we would have otherwise counted on Him. And it is during this testing that our 'Talent' or Talents' are weighed; which, if you know your history, this is the way money was exchanged in those days, by weight. In order to spend what you were spending on what you were purchasing, you would have to weigh your money to determine how much it was worth; which then determined how much you could buy. This is why I believe that a trial is worth far more than we can even imagine; because there is Power in the testimony which is manifested in us as we proclaim the Hope we have in Christ through a trial; no ifs, ands, or buts! "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto the praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the Salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:7-9)