When I was a kid, I remember this time that my mom gave me some money and sent me to the store to pick up milk. When I got to the store, there was a huge display for Doritos. Those crispy chips of nacho cheese perfection called my name. So, I took the money mom and given me and went home Doritos in hand. When I got home, mom was furious. She sent me to get milk not Doritos! For the next week, I was grounded for taking what she had given and not using it as she instructed. I’m convinced there’s a similar call in Matthew 25. There Jesus tells a story about a man who headed off on a long journey and gives His wealth to three men to invest. The first received 5 portions, the second 3, and the final 1. The first two men take their master’s wealth and invest it in wise stewardship, but the third dreading the master takes it, buries it in the ground and does nothing with the master’s resources.
When the master returns, he starts to settle the accounts. He praises the first two for their wise investments and rewards them with greater responsibility. What the master says to them is gift that I pray will be true of each of our lives- “Well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your master!” Can you imagine, we can bring God joy! We do it as we faithfully serve. Listen to what happened when the one came to present the one talent he protected before the master.
24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
In each of our lives, God has given us natural talents and abilities. These talents are not ours to own, they are an investment that God has given us that we might make His love known to others. One thing I want to point out is that no person was criticized that they didn’t have as many talents as another person. They were evaluated based upon what they did with the talents they were given. In the same way, God will not grade you on the standard of another person’s talents. The only measure is what we do with what he’s given us. In the same way, one of the most important questions we can ask is, “How am I stewarding the gifts God has given?”
One of my deep passions is that every person here at Grace be involved serving in some kind of ministry. There is something about sharing the love of Jesus with others that allows us to see the love of Jesus in a greater and deeper way. Especially as we begin to plan the launch of a second service, we need you and together I’m convinced that we can make a powerful difference in this community. So, I want to personally ask each of you to find a place to serve here at Grace and in the community.
Each week we have a need for people to help with various ministries like kids, youth, and grace groups. The investment that you make in the lives of others is really taking the gifting and talents God has given and stewarding them to serve. We would love to connect with you and to do anything we can to help you find and serve as we carry on God’s work together.
Friends, I believe that God is doing something special in each of us. I’m excited to see what He will do as He continues to work in and through our lives. We all have a role to play any gifting, any talent, is simply a gift from him? Are we using it for His glory. May it be that for each of us, we would hear those amazing words, “Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant. Enter into the joy of your master.”