Week 27 (29 June - 5 July): How We Got Our Name Talent Beacon

Last week was a special one for Talent Beacon as we celebrated our 9th anniversary, and for the first time (for me at least!), the story behind our church name was revealed. Ps Ben opened his sermon with a story of where the inspiration for our name came from. It all started at Amber Beacon, East Coast Park, where Ps Ben baptised a friend on 16 April 2017. 

Teaching from Matthew 25:14-30, the Parable of the Talents, Ps Ben shared our church's belief that God has given each of us at least one talent to cultivate and use for God's kingdom. In the parable, the Master gives different amounts of gold to his servants, reflecting the reality of life that we all have different starting points. 

Comparing ourselves with another person is unnecessary. We simply have to be faithful to what God has given us, and be grateful that in His wisdom, He has made us all so differently.

Ps Ben also emphasised that life is not a sprint. This gave me a whole new perspective! If you try to sprint the whole way, you'll burn out - physically, mentally, and emotionally. The ones who finish well pace themselves. They find calm in the chaos, create balance and protect their peace. They invite God into their lives and collaborate with him so that the journey becomes more meaningful, less tiring, and purposeful.

For us to keep going, another key trait is grit - the power of passion and perseverance. To sustain ourselves in this race, it is also important for us to find our tribe, a community that is ready to lift us up whenever life throws a curveball. One of the key takeaways is not to do more but to prioritise what's important as we have limited time and energy. Seek wisdom to discern the season that God has put us in, and prioritise from there. 

Lastly, we learned not only who God is but who God is not: He is not a harsh Master, as the third servant in the parable thought. It is easy to feel demotivated by our perceived mistakes and failures, especially for those of us who grew up in households where praise was withheld but criticism was commonplace. It is easy to think that God responds to us in the same, harsh critical way. The third servant buries his talent precisely because of how he saw the Master: "I knew you to be a hard man ... so I was afraid, and I hid your talent in the ground."

But notice what the master says to the faithful servants: "Well done, good and faithful servant ... enter into the joy of your master." The servant with two talents received the very same commendation as the one with five. God is not a harsh master calculating what we do for Him. He is a loving Father who rejoices in our successes and comforts us in our weakness. The point of the parable is not to do more, but to understand the heart of the Master. When we truly know His heart, we will joyfully steward all that He has given us.

To sum it all, Talent Beacon hopes to encourage people to become more like God and to uncover their unique talents to embrace it for the purpose He uniquely designed for each one of us.

May we take time to reflect: What do we value most? What talents has God placed in our hands? Have we fully embraced our talents, and if not, why?

Blessings,

Yosefa Chika (On Behalf of RT2)