Today’s Lenten reading is from Matthew 25:14-30.
“The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
Matthew 25:22-23
I’ve always loved this parable. I think it’s one of the easier ones to understand, whether or not we find it easy to follow. We all want God to say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
It’s so important that we recognize the talents God gave us. These gifts are the key to understanding our purpose in life and how He created us to contribute to the greater story He’s telling.
The worst thing we can do with our gifts is hide them, like the third man in the parable.
“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’”
Matthew 25:24-25
Hiding our gifts can mean a lot of things. We might bury our deepest passions and desires to follow a career that is more stable or lucrative. Or we might stay in our comfort zones, coasting along doing “just good enough.”
However we choose to hide, there is always something in the back of our minds, whispering to us: There’s a bigger adventure out there.
We each have an important role to play in God’s plan for this world. We have something unique to contribute and we are all connected to each other through our gifts and talents.
For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
Romans 12:4-5
Don’t sell God short with the talents He gave you. Get in touch with your innate desires, ask the Holy Spirit for help and you will discover the gifts you’re meant to share with the world.
Pursue the heart of God in your life and apply your gifts at every opportunity He presents. Keep reminding yourself of the desire to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
What are you waiting for?!
It is hard sometimes to remember that God doesn’t ‘need’ us but that He WANTS us. And it is such a better gift to be wanted! Your post reminded me that because I am indeed wanted and loved by God that I should strive to make Him proud.
Thank you for sharing this. It is such a great encouragement.
-Dusty.
Thanks, Dusty. That’s such an important distinction that you made. He WANTS us and DESIRES us. Thank you for pointing that out!