Nurture It

Do you see a man who excels in his work?  He will stand before kings, he will not stand before unknown men. 

(Proverbs 22:29, NKJV)

Any time seasons change, there is a newness and excitement in the air, there is hope and an expectation.  When we look forward to that which we have not seen, we tend to have an expectation of a better thing in the horizon.  The state of expectation is energizing, often giving us the strength to wait a while.  What of when we plant a seed in the soil.  We know full well that it will take a while before it sprouts out of the ground and understanding this helps us to be patient as the seed grows in darkness.  As I reflected on this daily natural occurrence of planting, waiting and growing something, it was clear to me that most of what we bring forth starts in hiding.  We work from behind the scenes and only front it once we are satisfied that it is good enough or is as we wanted it to be.  Growing our seed in darkness and in hiding is the focus of our reflection today using the analogy of growing a plant as we know it in the natural.  When we have put the seed in the soil, whether on the farm or in a pot on the balcony, we leave it to take in the nutrients to grow it, we do not uncover it to check whether it is growing or not.  If by any chance we uncover the seed, we interfere with the process and could very well abort its growth.  Beloved, this which we diligently do with plants applies to many other areas of our lives.

Our reference verse tells of the benefits and honour accorded to one who has perfected his skill, he stands before people who value his skill.  It starts with perfecting one’s skill.  Many want to be recognized for something by others but fail to take the time to work on their talents to a level of proficiency.  David was known and respected as a warrior during his time.  His family did not know he could fight until he appeared before king Saul offering to face Goliath, and when all doubted him, he gave his experiences in the desert as a qualifying factor to the surprise of many (1 Samuel 17:34-37).  David’s win and accolades as a warrior were cultivated in the back of the desert, one would say in a place of obscurity and darkness, he practiced his skill to perfection.

Each one of us has been given something that if we work on, it will work for us at times beyond our expectations.  Jesus gave the parable of the master who gave talents to his servants (Matthew 25:14-30).  It is recorded that he gave each according to their abilities, so to one he gave five talents, to the second two talents and to the third one he gave only one.  He clearly knew his people for upon return the first two had traded the talents and made profits but the third man did not utilize the talent but went and kept it to return it to the master as received.  This parable is often used to remind us to employ our talents and skills to good work and not just sit on them.  This means we have work to do, receiving and knowing our talent or skill is not enough, we have to work it out and perfect it.  It takes time, so we work patiently, focused and diligently. If we leave it and just let it lie, we will have not benefit out of it and we shall have no one to blame but ourselves.

Beloved, there are times when we need to keep in hiding that which we are growing until we are confident to bring it out.  We read of Moses’ mother who hid the baby for three months (Exodus 2:2), and also Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist hiding herself for five months during her pregnancy (Luke 1:24).  The reasons why these women hid  have been argued over years but for today, I choose to see the value of the hiding regardless of the reasons given.  The children were preserved in the hiding, whether the parents knew it or not, these children had a future in God’s purpose greater than anyone could imagine.  The parents in allowing the children to grow hidden from the world, protected their destinies and led to God’s purposes being realized.  We might not understand the intelligence that God granted the women but we can learn from their wisdom, the power of seclusion and nurturing from behind the scenes. It suggests to me that there is wisdom in hiding what we are sharpening till we are ready to shine it out.

Thoughts:

Do you know your talents?

Have you sharpened them to perfection?

How are you using them and what are the results you have received?