November 17, 2008
Toward the end of my fifth grade year, I was involved in a game of tag that ended up having some rather long-term consequences for me. As I was avoiding a tag I slipped, fell awkwardly on my left leg, heard a horribly loud SNAP, felt pain shoot up my leg, and screamed out in pain, knowing I had just broken my leg. The prognosis was a spiral fracture of the tibia, and I ended up spending over two months in a cast during my summer vacation.
When the last cast finally came off, I looked down at my legs and was shocked at the difference. The uninjured leg was tanned, with the well-formed muscle structure of an active young boy. The injured leg was pasty white and half the size of the other leg. Why? Because I had not used it in months.
God’s word is clear when it says that everything we have belongs to God and we are just managers/stewards of all we possess. Matthew 25:14-30 talk about how we as stewards/managers of everything are to be faithful with what has been given us. This isn’t limited to material possessions or money, but our Time, Talents, and Treasure. We are to be faithful with out time, returning some of it for service to those around us. We are to be faithful with out talents, using our giftedness and abilities to serve God and help others. We are to be faithful with out treasures, returning a portion of what we earn back to God’s mission and ministry.
What happens if we don’t give? It seems a universal principle of life is that if we don’t use something, we lose it. If we don’t speak in a language we have learned, we often lose proficiency. If we don’t exercise a certain muscle group, it becomes weaker. If we don’t give some of what we have, we often lose it some other way or, even worse, our possessions control us rather that we our possessions.
May you learn to be a great manager of all the gifts, time, talents and treasures the Lord has given you. May you be blessed when you bless others-this is a promise of God. |
