Faithfulness Uses What It's Given
Faithfulness Uses What It Is Given
Matthew 25:14-30 (NKJV)
And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money.
In this parable we see that the master gives responsibility (stewardship of his goods) to each servant “according to his own ability” (v.15). He didn’t give them more than they were able to cope with, neither did he give them less. What they were given was exactly right for each of them.
Sometimes we get offended because other people are given greater responsibilities than we are. We don’t think we’ve been given ‘enough’. But we have to realise that we’re all wired differently, we all have different experiences and skills, and so we will always be given different responsibilities – each according to our own ability. The advice here is simple - get over your offense, stop comparing yourself to others, and start using what you’ve been given!
However, it is probably more common to feel like you’ve been given too much responsibility and, as we see when we read on in Matthew 25, the natural response is ‘fear’ (v.25). Although we may not have dug a hole and buried our master’s goods in the ground, we may all be able to relate to this feeling of being incapable of handling the responsibilities we’ve been given.
The good news is that God knew what He was doing when He handed you those responsibilities! Therefore our ‘weakness’ is an opportunity for God’s strength. Our relationship with God is founded and built on His exceedingly great grace and, as Jesus said to the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Praise God for this amazing truth which can be a reality in our lives as much as it was in the Apostle Paul’s.
Faithful people don’t compare themselves to others, nor do they back away from responsibility; they thank God for the opportunity and they use what they are given to the glory of God. Colossians 3:23 says, "And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men…"
So today, make sure you are faithful to use what you’ve been given.
Steuart Payne
Executive Pastor, Family Church
(This week’s devotionals are written by one of the Family Church pastors. Enjoy!)
Matthew 25:14-30 (NKJV)
And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money.
In this parable we see that the master gives responsibility (stewardship of his goods) to each servant “according to his own ability” (v.15). He didn’t give them more than they were able to cope with, neither did he give them less. What they were given was exactly right for each of them.
Sometimes we get offended because other people are given greater responsibilities than we are. We don’t think we’ve been given ‘enough’. But we have to realise that we’re all wired differently, we all have different experiences and skills, and so we will always be given different responsibilities – each according to our own ability. The advice here is simple - get over your offense, stop comparing yourself to others, and start using what you’ve been given!
However, it is probably more common to feel like you’ve been given too much responsibility and, as we see when we read on in Matthew 25, the natural response is ‘fear’ (v.25). Although we may not have dug a hole and buried our master’s goods in the ground, we may all be able to relate to this feeling of being incapable of handling the responsibilities we’ve been given.
The good news is that God knew what He was doing when He handed you those responsibilities! Therefore our ‘weakness’ is an opportunity for God’s strength. Our relationship with God is founded and built on His exceedingly great grace and, as Jesus said to the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Praise God for this amazing truth which can be a reality in our lives as much as it was in the Apostle Paul’s.
Faithful people don’t compare themselves to others, nor do they back away from responsibility; they thank God for the opportunity and they use what they are given to the glory of God. Colossians 3:23 says, "And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men…"
So today, make sure you are faithful to use what you’ve been given.
Steuart Payne
Executive Pastor, Family Church
(This week’s devotionals are written by one of the Family Church pastors. Enjoy!)
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