PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Matthew 25:14-30
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“You entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.” (Matthew 25:20)
In this story, Jesus seems to be the master and the disciples are the servants.
Or the master could also be God, and all humans are the servants.
Either way, this applies to me; I have been entrusted with a certain amount of gold.
The gold in my life are whatever blessings, advantages, abilities and opportunities I have.
What am I doing with this gold, how am I leveraging it for God, for good, for the kingdom?
Who am I blessing, how am I helping, what am I using it for – self or serving others?
Am I wasting what I have, not multiplying it for the Master, for what it was intended?
The servant can explain to the master what he did with the gold… can I?
The servant did not make excuses (I was afraid, you were unfair), he made more gold.
When I first thought about being a minister, my reason was ‘I want to help people’.
Some jobs may be seem more helpful than others, but we bless people in all jobs!
Whatever we do, whatever we have (much or little), we can multiply God’s kind of gold.
Gold for God is blessing others, multiplying goodness, kindness, mercy, jutsice.
I want to be able to say, “You entrusted this to me; see, I gained this much more!’
PRAYER
Lord, today I have gold to multiply. Help me not to bury it but to use it to bless others. That’s gold!
“Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them” What is the missing ingredient? What did the servant that did not ‘utilize’ the gold – not have.? Was it ‘initiative’ – a drive to be busy – to be fruitful for the Master’s business – to be engaged using the Master’s resources that was provided to him. He was afraid and so wouldn’t risk even putting the resources in someone else’s hands – like the bankers. Do life’s pleasures and anxieties stop me from being fruitful for the Master – for Jesus? Do I become overprotective and anxious and therefore not risk myself for the kingdom and just seek pleasure and comfort. Oh Lord help me to be busy for the sake of your name – to share the good news and be fruitful – finding opportunity to share – to use the gifts you have given me to bless others and help them find you!
We were created to serve. God has gifted His people with gifts and it is what we do with these gifts that matter. Those gifts could be our talents like the gold in the reading or it could be money. Our deeds show what is important to us. My bank account will show how important the Lord God is in all things, including my priorities with my monies. He has blessed me and I need to be a blessing unto others, not only in my prayer life but also in my economic life. In all I do I need to serve Him.
All that I am I owe to Thee,
Thy wisdom, Lord, has fashioned me;
I give my Maker thankful praise,
Whose wondrous works my soul amaze.
Ere into being I was brought,
Thine eye did see, and in Thy thought
My life in all its perfect plan
Was ordered ere my days began.