Why do we volunteer? is a series to investigate our motivations behind volunteering and their biblical relevance. While we seek opportunities to serve, we do so for a variety of reasons. This series started last week with “Volunteering to love better.” This week, in part two, we’re digging deeper with a closer look at investing in your talents while volunteering.

Working for a non-profit organization, we rely on a variety of volunteers to provide us with the help needed for all of the programs and services we offer. It takes a lot of volunteers to make everything work, but it doesn’t take long to quickly figure out that no volunteer is exactly alike. We are fortunate to have volunteers who arrive at our doors with all sorts of backgrounds, qualifications and skills. For example, nurses and pharmacy technicians use their abilities to volunteer at the Good Samaritan Medical Clinic and dental hygienists are able to volunteer at the Good Samaritan Dental Clinic.

We’re extremely grateful that we have qualified volunteers who want to work in their specific field. It’s these skills that can then be multiplied and useful throughout our programs.

Taking a look at Mathew 25:14-28, I’m reminded that we’re called to make wise investments with the talents we are given. In this story, it doesn’t matter how many bags of gold each servant received, only that they took those talents and invested in them wisely. While a talent here is a form of currency, we can apply the same theology to skill sets.

For example. when the master of the parable returned, the servant who was given five talents, gained five more.  The servant who was given two , gained two more. Finally, the servant who was only given one, hid away his talent and did not gain any additional ones. The first two servants are praised as being good and faithful servants, whereas the last servant is condemned for laziness.

This story acts as a reminder to use our talents, both in currency and in skills. How will we use the gifts that God has given us? How will we invest our skills?

Check back next week for the next reason in Why do we volunteer?

Originally posted on RochesterSA.org.