Using God's Gifts

Matthew 25:23

“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.

You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’”

Sometimes I wish I were faster. Actually, not just “sometimes” but all the time. Ever since I competed in my first race, my goal has been to run faster. God has blessed me, and my pace has improved over the years. But often I find that I’m not appreciative of what I have and focus instead on what I do not have. By conventional standards, I am not a super talented runner, and I often selfishly wish God would give me more.

Jesus told a parable about some people who received varying amounts of blessing. A man who owned a great deal asked three of his servants to manage his money while he went on a trip. Each servant received a different amount. The first two servants left at once, carefully managed the money, and quickly earned a 100% return for the master. The servant who was entrusted with the least amount buried it and earned nothing.

When the master returned, the third servant came up with an excuse for his mismanagement of the money. He accused the master of being cruel and claimed he was frightened of the master. But the master wasn’t cruel or frightening. After all, he knew enough about each servant to entrust the proper amount to each. He gave equal praise to the first two servants for the work they did, even though one was initially entrusted with a great deal more than the other. He told them both that they inspired his joy and would be now be blessed with abundantly more, all because they trusted their master.

When I reflect on this parable, I find that I am often like the third servant. I do not go “at once” and use the gifts I have been given to the glory of my Master. I often look at others who have received more and I am jealous. I take what God gives me and bury it or use it only for my good and myself. I am not honest when I mismanage my gifts; I blame others for my shortcomings.

At the end of life’s race, I want to hear Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” And indeed, He will say these words to His children, but not because we have strung together a list of accomplishments. Rather, He will invite us to share in His joy simply because we trusted in Him above all else. Whether God has given us “a lot” or “a little,” we need to delight in what we have received and put it to good use, trusting that God will multiply it for His kingdom. Let’s talk to Him about that now.

Lord God, You are abundantly faithful and trustworthy. You know us inside and out and give us great blessings. Please help us to rejoice in what You have given us. Help us to trust You to empower and strengthen us to faithfully manage what You have given us. Forgive us when we do not use our gifts to the good of Your kingdom. In Jesus’ name we pray…AMEN.

Praying for Others

1 Timothy 2:1

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people.

Every runner has a story of the odds he or she overcame to reach the start line. Some runners faced an injury that had to heal. Others battled time management and had to balance a stressful life in order to train properly. Still other runners experienced tragic events such as the death of a loved one or a broken relationship.

Several runners who had overcome huge odds were featured on the television coverage of the White Rock Marathon recently. I listened to their stories and was inspired by them. I reflected on times when I had to overcome problems. I thought about my friends who were out on the course that day and of all the struggles they had gone through too. I thought about how many prayers had been lifted up on behalf of each other.

Throughout the Bible, God instructs us to pray for each other. He instructs us to communicate our burdens to each other and to take those burdens to Him on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Christ. But why does He have us do this? After all, we know He hears and answers the prayers we pray alone. Why should we ask others to pray for us?

First, when we share our problems with fellow believers, we receive their encouragement and support. God lifts us up and blesses us through them. Additionally, when problems are shared, both friends witness God’s power when He lovingly answers the prayer. God designed us to form loving relationships, to care for each other, and to share each other’s burdens.

God protects us from Satan’s schemes when we pray for each other. Satan wants to deceive us into thinking everyone else’s life is better. He wants us to feel too much pride to reach out for help. He wants us to think we are a burden to others and attempts to convince us to live in isolation and suffer in silence, to feel alone and forgotten. But when we reach out to others, his power is dispelled.

Best of all, God makes an amazing promise about our communication with other believers. He says that where two or more of His people are gathered, He is there. Because of this, we are never alone. What an amazing promise that is!

Lord God, forgive me when I begin to believe that I am the only one with problems. Help me share the problems of my life with others so that they can pray for me. Help me to seek out friends that need my help and prayers. Help all believers to trust in You to hear and answer our prayers. And thank You in advance, for we know You will graciously give us all good things. In Jesus’ name I pray, AMEN.