My mom told the story of me as a three-year-old, upset at being told "no," so my logical reaction was to inform her I was going to "Daddy Hunt's" (her step-dad). "How will you get there?" she asked. My tricycle, I responded as she told it.
We see it in adults too. Well, I'm just going to leave this place and take my talent with me. When confronted with such in my days as an administrator, my mind said, "Adios. There are a million more out there where you came from." Outwardly I would say, "Okay, please make sure you put that in writing." Really though, what else are you supposed to say? Drop to your knees, cry, wrap your arms around their legs and say, "No, please, how will we ever do without you?"
We see it in the church too. People given talents by God who use them as a bargaining chip. "Well, I'll take my (talent, weekly offerings, time, etc.) and go elsewhere. There are other churches in this town."
I will say this. We should make an effort to make sure people who contribute are thanked in some manner regularly. We sometimes overlook those contributions by staff or members. If it is an inadvertent mistake, most people dust themselves off and move on. If it is routine, then the organization has some leadership issues that need to be addressed.
Yet our talents, given by God, are to be treated differently when it come to the church, given to us by Christ. In Philippians 2, Paul writes, "...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." Our talents are not negotiating tools. They are to be used to glorify Christ whose grace saves and redeems us.
Pray that we use our talents God has given us out of awe, reverence, respect, and yes, fear in response to the love and trust He has shown to us.
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