My ability
May 2, 2011
The Life of Jesus Today; Read - Parable of the talents Matthew 25:14-30
Matthew Chapter 25:14-15(ESV):
14:For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.
15:To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
When I have read this in the past I always seemed to focus on the end. God (in the form of the master) appears to be so happy with the first few servants and so angry at the last. It reinforces the image of an angry God who wants to pounce on us. The servant at least did not spend it on himself, and gave it back whole. Why was God so mad.
And then today I noticed verse 15. “Each according to his ability.” The master was not angry about the fact that he got the money back unchanged, he was upset that the man had not used his ability to make it something more. The master knew that he had ability and could have increased it if the man had only tried.
God wants me to try. He wants me to take the abilities that I have inside myself and use them for Him. If I do not, I have not surrendered my whole life to Him. When I do not use them for days, weeks or even months at a time, I get God upset with me. That is never a good place to be.
Read for next time: Warnings about the Judgment; Matthew 25:31-46
Visit http://dailydevotionbob.blogspot.com/ for more tools and sign up for mailing list
The Life of Jesus Today; Read - Parable of the talents Matthew 25:14-30
Matthew Chapter 25:14-15(ESV):
14:For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.
15:To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
When I have read this in the past I always seemed to focus on the end. God (in the form of the master) appears to be so happy with the first few servants and so angry at the last. It reinforces the image of an angry God who wants to pounce on us. The servant at least did not spend it on himself, and gave it back whole. Why was God so mad.
And then today I noticed verse 15. “Each according to his ability.” The master was not angry about the fact that he got the money back unchanged, he was upset that the man had not used his ability to make it something more. The master knew that he had ability and could have increased it if the man had only tried.
God wants me to try. He wants me to take the abilities that I have inside myself and use them for Him. If I do not, I have not surrendered my whole life to Him. When I do not use them for days, weeks or even months at a time, I get God upset with me. That is never a good place to be.
Read for next time: Warnings about the Judgment; Matthew 25:31-46
Visit http://dailydevotionbob.blogspot.com/ for more tools and sign up for mailing list
