Tonight part of our women's Bible study focused on the blessings God gives us so we can bless His church. We spoke about how even the tragedies and trials can become a gift when we use what God taught us through pain to encourage others. And I thought of the parable of the talents...
Those men who, with their bounty, went forth to make fortunes for their master lived upon the gift they had been given. It was not merely enough to survive on, but to encourage trade and bring in an enormous profit for their master. This was no dry investment, they employed their talents and abilities and found great joy in the process.
Yet I find myself more like the third man, hoarding my small talents to myself, burying them in the dark and hoping they won't be stolen. It's easier to invest the big talents sometimes, yet this man profited nothing and failed his master because he never tried.
So, what talents do I hoard and hide? I often explain to people that I am not a person of ritual and order. When something is always done a certain way, I often do it differently just to see what will happen. Yet, schedule and keeping time are important talents, and when God dosed them out to the world, He saw fit to give me only a tiny dollop.
I just realized, tonight, that I'm doing the deep hole thing with this small amount of scheduling ability God gave me. It's not growing because I rarely use it. It's not turning into a great tree of order because God intended it to grow slowly over time. It is not growing because I haven't planted it; I've hidden it and just decided that God must have a use for me even if I'm out of order. He does. He wants me to invest the obvious talents too, after all. But I didn't really realize that I'm not off the hook even if I have barely enough of some good gift to survive on.
My little talent may only grow into enough to bless my family, but it will still be more than I have now.
Did you know that God meant the fruits of the Spirit to grow? I mean, not just suddenly pop out into fruit, but grow! And, oh, yeah, we're supposed to be like the seeds planted in the ground and die to ourselves first so the fruit that grows will be His, not ours. And when we plant our little seed of pain, joy, suffering, love, accomplishment, talent, expectation; and water it by submerging ourselves in His promises by faith, THEN it grows. And it's not us who grow it, but the Holy Spirit, and that is by the water of Life which is Christ! And, just to make sure you're as amazed by all this as I am...
If we bury our talent, and say it's too small, then we plant ourselves over that talent and tell God His grace isn't big enough to multiply His too-small gift, and that we'd appreciate it if He'd just start us off with something full grown for once. Then, perhaps, we might prevent the very bounty He longs to give us?
This is by no means a complete thought. What do you think about profit as we invest for God's glory? Do you think He planned it that way? Do you think we're meant to rejoice in the bounty as we invest His gifts? What are you hoarding away from Him, thinking it too small to increase? What talent do you think is easiest to invest? Which is hardest? Why? And what does your answer say about your perception of God's capabilities?
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
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3 comments:
This is one of Christ's hard sayings--I reap where I have sown not, and I gather where I have not scattered. I think we run the risk of spiritualizing this saying out of its meaning. If you look down further in that same 25th chapter of St. Matthew's gospel, we see that Jesus goes on to teach about care for the needy. Truly, this parable about the proper use of money is precisely what it appears to be: what ever he gives us, we are to use to bring in more, and all of that we are to offer back to him, for he is the source of all that we have. If we do not use the wealth we are given to care for the poor, the sick, the needy, those in prison, etc, then we will deal with his displeasure at the judgment, and will be sent off with the goats.
Surely, it has a spiritual dimension as well, but I think that something is lost when we jump immediately to that interpretation of this parable.
I agree with you on the primary application. Truly, it's hard not to see it, because it is so clearly outlined. And this is not the first time I've learned from this passage.
Yet, it is also true that God uses His Word along with the Holy Spirit to point out our flawed thinking and values, sometimes unexpectedly so. When something ought to be on our conscience, then He finds a way to open our eyes to the matter.
In this case, God meant for me to think about how I was viewing Him by telling Him He had not given me enough ability in a given area for me to actually use it.
While this is not the primary application of this parable, it is a valid point supported in many other places in Scripture.
I'm with you Karen. I also received a pittance of scheduling skills, and I have been blessed with children(and a husband) who crave scheduling and order, while I love chaos. Most days have a semblance of order, but I reserve the right to change it :). I agree that only by using these gifts will they grow. I've tried and tried to make them spring full grown, but these attempts always fail. But as I have worked diligently in small ways, I find myself growing in surprising ways.
The biggest talent I've been given that I am not using is my musical ability. But by removing me from the musical sphere, God has done a great work in removing my arrogance about my talent(I was really good-still am when I try). I needed to be humbled, and well, I was. Now that my children are growing old enough to appreciate music I hope to teach them a little, but my greatest dream is to learn to play spontaneously in worship. I have always lacked that skill. I'm really good at playing what is written, but could never let go anough to improvise(I might mess up). I think I'm almost loosed up enough.
I can probably think of more, but dh just walked in the door. Good post.
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