Reference: Matthew 11:28-30,
Isaiah 9:4
My Version
The
Parable of the Talents has always made me uncomfortable. I am not visionary,
not creative about how to serve God, not gregarious, boisterous, charismatic,
or adventurous. I am often overwhelmed by the enormity of people’s needs and my
lack of giftedness to meet them. In
short, I have always considered myself barely a one-talent servant, with no
idea of what I could do with my measly inner resources.
Buying into the Lie
The
problem was that my ideas of servanthood and of myself as a servant came from
the wrong source. I bought into the lie
of Satan and the world, telling me that God is a hard Master, demanding of me
things I could not accomplish due to my personality. I feared asking God what
He wanted me to do in case He would demand service for which I was completely unsuited,
something “out of my comfort zone.” Worse yet, He could leave it to me to come
up with some form of self-sacrificing-enough service to count as good use of my
scant talent.
Revelation
My life took
an unexpected change of direction, which afforded me a new opportunity for large
amounts of solitary time with Jesus. The
deepening intimacy of our relationship opened my eyes to the difference in my
perspective and His perspective on service and servanthood. What I learned at His feet caused a complete
change in my understanding.
The Difference
·
God gives talents and gifts to bless not only
others, but also us as we use them. God delights in our service, notices the
smallest offerings done in His name, and tailors our talents and gifts to each
of us so they can delight us as well.
·
God, through the leading and prompting of the
Holy Spirit, gives us the ideas for service, which takes the pressure off and
makes serving as easy as breathing. (Maybe not quite that easy, there is always
a point of choice, do it or walk past it.)
·
Service done God’s way is not heavy
bondage. His yoke is easy and His burden
is light. The Holy Spirit provides the
energy. We will not bear fruit of bitterness, resentment, anger, and self-pity
when He is carrying the load.
·
As we walk under His yoke, He gives us ever-increasing
ideas for service, opportunities that do not feel like someone is trying to
force a square peg into a round hole. He keeps adding to our talents and shows
us how to use them. It is a delight to do many of the things we once feared.
·
We do not have to be a visionary. The vision is
His. It encompasses people, families,
towns, and nations. We need only be faithful to do the tasks or say the words
that He whispers to one’s heart.
The Reward
·
Contentment, hope, energy, excitement, purpose,
and an ever-increasing amount of pleasurable work to do for Him that is light,
easy, and designed specifically with you in mind.
·
Increased love for others and an expanded
interest in the lost.
·
Sometimes outrageous faith to believe that what
He inspires will yield a great harvest, yet unseen by us now.
Perfect Summary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7Uj_B0KNgU
“If my heart has grown cold, there Your love will
unfold as You open my eyes to the work of Your hand…
Oceans will part, nations come at the whisper of Your
call. Hope will rise, glory shown,
In my life Your will be done.” (Ben Fielding, Hillsong)
….Leah Marks
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