Being faithful with what I'm given

This week I have been finishing up the book of Matthew (which it seems that I have been reading through for months!).  I was especially struck by the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30.  I've always had a soft spot in my heart for this parable, one of the first sermons that I ever heard, and the first sermon that I can actually remember was 5 yeas ago, on this specific parable.

Click here to read the parable in its entirety on biblegateway.com.

This parable has had me asking myself; Am I being faithful with what my Lord has entrusted to me?  With my provision, money, time, spiritual gifts etc.  And unfortunately the answer is no... in two specific areas. 

I'm not being faithful with my time... I'm being selfish, I'm doing the things that I want to do, with whom I want to do them, and am missing out on the bigger picture that I am blessed to be a blessing to others... to the nations (or if you want to refer to it in the hip Christianese that our church is using as we go through this series, I haven't been doing a good job of living sent). 

The second area in which I haven't been doing a good job of being faithful is in using my gifts... particularly hospitality.  And I don't mean that we haven't been having people into our home, we have been.  But I'm referring back to this post that I wrote referring to fellowship as inviting over others that are like us, and hospitality as entertaining strangers, and those different than us.  Not that I don't think God loves it and is glorified through us fellowshipping with our friends... because He does love that, and is glorified through it, and uses that time to encourage and refresh us.  But the key there is us, it's not all about us, and I need to do a better job of remembering this.  Of remembering that I have been entrusted with my gifts for specific reasons, for God to use them for His purposes and glory, and that I want to be faithful with them.  I want to hear my Master say "Well done, good and faithful slave".

Matthew 25:23 "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'

So this is my current prayer; to learn to be faithful with what I have been entrusted, for the Lord to show me opportunities to do this.

This week my friends, spend some time in prayer and reflection asking God to show you if you're being faithful with what He has entrusted to you.

Shannon