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I spend a lot of time thinking about the Parable of The Talents. You know the story. A master entrusts a quantity of money to three men (the amount depending on his assessment of their abilities) and then goes on a trip. When he gets back he finds that the top two employees performed very well but the hapless “one talent man” buried his money so he wouldn’t lose any of it and make his master mad. Of course those familiar with the story know that this hapless individual was severely punished for his ineptitude.
Today I was thinking about the one talent man and realized this, that one of his big problems was laziness. LAZINESS! While the other two were working and planning on how to make more money for their master their fellow worker just buried his and sat around. Perhaps never thinking… I’ll dig up a little bit of this money and buy hammers for $2 each and see if I can get $3 each for them. He was lazy just sitting around and doing nothing.
The Lord doesn’t like lazy people. He didn’t like them when the Bible was written and he doesn’t like them now. The Lord assesses our abilities and makes an investment in us. Everyone has some level of ability. No one gets a free pass. Don’t be lazy. Use your abilities so when you meet up with God he will smile at you and give you a big hug.
As human beings we understand that we have a limited number of days to live upon this earth. As servants (employees) of God we understand that those days should be spent working for God. So at the beginning of a new day an assessment should be made about how we performed for God on the previous day and a plan should be made for the new day.
The previous day’s assessment should include; did I actively violate any of God’s commandments, i.e. did I sin? The assessment should also include some thought about the casual social interaction we have with other people. In my social interaction did I represent my employer (God) in a positive way? Was I kind, helpful, encouraging etc. In addition, how did I do in my planned social interaction? Which brings us to this… planning the new day.
Since we have a finite number of days on earth, each one of them is precious and should be devoted in some form or fashion to the Lord. For example, today I’m going to visit someone who is lonely, a home bound widow, a sick person, etc. Today I’m going to encourage someone who is neglecting their abilities. Today I’m going to repair a broken relationship. Today I’m going to interact and get to know someone at church who I only know on a handshake basis (a handshake friend). Today I’m going to help a poor person.
Things are done by littles and as those little things that we do day by day build up they become a huge monument to God. Plan and assess your days or otherwise you may wake up at the end of your day and realize you’ve only accumulated a bunch of wasted days.
Yesterday I posted a photo on Facebook of my brother Greg and some of his church friends when they were teenagers. Almost immediately one of those friends posted the comment “thanks Rob” and sent me a private message with his phone number and to please call him.
When I called him he said Rob I need your help and encouragement I’m having a hard time going back to church and haven’t been in a few months. He continued, you were the oldest of our group and i know you can help me.
You see David was very close to our family. He named his son after my brother Greg. During the conversation he told me the two greatest men he had ever known was his Dad and my Dad. My parents were like his parents. The photo shows four young people about to start their adult lives but somewhere along the way David had made soon poor choices and suffered the consequences of those choices and now with a broken home, broken life and broken health was looking for some help.
I told David that I believed in him and loved him and that he had a wonderful story he could share with others and so he needed to make a better effort to attend assemblies of Christ not only for his own spiritual health but to also help the spiritual health of others through the story of his life. I told him that we have a great enemy and depression is one of his greatest weapons.
I know this if I know anything you don’t spend a whole lot of time in that vicious cycle of depression if you are more worried about others than yourself.
He also told me that he wants me to call and check on him on a regular basis to call him every Monday morning and hold him accountable. He knows that he can’t do it by himself and I suppose thats one of the reasons Christ died to establish his people the church. So they can help each other.
Shortly after that conversation I texted Greg, Scott and Mark and told them that we need to team up to help our lost brother. I’ve already built a text message group to help with that.
All this started with the simple posting of a photo on Facebook.
As I look at my life I see that God is always listening to my prayers and like paying close attention to me. I need your prayers for our missing brother. We have a powerful God.
