The second parable given in Matthew 25 is that of the talents. A master leaves three servants in charge of different portions of his estate; he gives each a varied amount of talents. When he departs, two have increased their talents and receive their reward; the third has done nothing and is punished. The Lord has made us stewards over many things, and we, too, shall find ourselves accountable to Him.
There are so many different ways to interpret this parable and apply it to us. The talents could represent our callings, our role as parents, or our spiritual gifts, among other things. In each of these, the Lord will take a final reckoning of what we have accomplished. But what I would like to address today is the gift of time.
In the April 2001 General Conference, Elder Dallin H. Oaks said that this accountability applies also to “the precious hours and days allotted to each of us during our time in mortality.” In short, we will be accountable to God for how we have spent our days – and minutes – on this earth. I began to wonder how the Lord would feel about the things that I have used my allotment of time on.
I have to confess that, as a stay-at-home mom of four, I treasure my “me” time (not that I get a lot of it). I relish being able to sit and read a good book, or just do nothing. I don’t necessarily think that this is foolish – unless one is exerting a great deal of energy towards play. But we also need to make sure that we are keeping it in balance, and that we are accomplishing the tasks the Lord requires of us. For instance, if I achieved “me” time at the expense of feeding my children, both the Lord and the State would hold me accountable.
But what about the spiritual nourishment of my children? I will confess that there are days when the idea of family scripture study with four kids under six seems much less pleasurable than watching TV or reading a book. Or just hiding in my bedroom. Sometimes the reason it is so difficult for me is because we do it at night, and I did not make sure that we planned for this important activity. (Since nothing is getting me out of bed when my husband leaves for work at 5:30 in the morning, this is a rather non-negotiable time for us.) Lately, I have consciously worked to change that – before engaging in a movie or going out to do something, we have tried to hold our scripture study. The point isn’t that we do it before we go to bed; it is that we do it. By adjusting our priorities and keeping the important things first, we are able to have fun as a family while meeting our spiritual needs.
I heard a really great quote the other day. I have scoured the internet trying to find it, and had no success, so I’m going to paraphrase: “Men are not given the same amount of time. Some are able to use a year’s worth of time in a week, while others use only a week’s worth of time in a year.” (Feel free to post the ‘true’ quote if you know or can find it! I would love to know the source!) In short, we have as much time as we are willing to utilize – or to squander.
And so, while you are contemplating your daily activities, ask yourself if you are putting your time to its best use. When you stand before the Lord, will you feel embarrassed about how much time you spent watching television or playing online? Or will you feel that you have accomplished most – if not all – that He sent you to do?
For other blogs on this week’s Sunday School lesson, click on the Gospel Doctrine link at right.
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Gospel Doctrine: Why Speakest Thou…In Parables?
Gospel Doctrine: Receiving What We Give