Daily In The Word – Feb. 9th – Your Gifts and How to Use Them
Well my reading for today did not take as long as I thought. That means you get the joy of seeing the second set of thoughts from my readings. Anyone who knows me well and has known me longer than a few weeks will tell you that I tend to be doing lots of things, all the time. I work multiple jobs to support my family, I teach English classes, I try to help people in many ways (such as teaching a few people how to skate at my son’s birthday party last night) and it brings me great joy. Why would someone who has so much going on feel so happy? Well, that’s because I feel that God has gifted me with a few skills: the ability to teach, a desire to learn, sound judgement, an analytical mind, a love for children and really just people in general. In the various things I do with my time, I am constantly using those talents to serve those around me. If I have a skill that can be used for the betterment of others, I try my best to do so because I feel that is how God would like me to be. According to the parable of the Three Servants, this is a very true statement. As you recall, the parable goes that a man gave one servant 5 bags of silver, one 3 bags and one a single bag. He left on a long journey and came back. The one who had 5 bags delighted his master by showing 5 more bags he’d earned. The one with three also pleased his master by showing him three additional bags he’d earned. Then… the last one, he didn’t use his silver, he just buried it and the master had him thrown out. It ends with the ultimate closure: “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. ” (Matthew 25:28-29, NLT). In this case, the servants who doubled their money were loved more by their master and the one who did nothing was scorned. Now, I have used this parable to teach my daughter the importance of being trusted even with small things. Pastors have used this to teach us about money. However, I am going to approach it like this… if God has given you any kind of talent (any bags of silver), do your best to use whatever he has given you to grow his kingdom more. I have found that when I use these gifts naturally, God blesses me with even more.