To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. Matthew 25:29
When considering the lives God is calling His people to live, one important question we must ask ourselves is "What will be the contribution of my life?" Part of embracing our purpose is considering what impact our lives will have on others. Leaving a lasting impact for Christ will give us a sense of purpose when we feel frustrated, wishing our lives had turned out differently than they currently are.
In Matthew 25, Jesus told a story that explained what the Kingdom of Heaven is like. In this story, He talks about a master and three of his servants. Before the master leaves for a trip, he gave each of his three servants a sum of money to invest while he was gone. The first two servants invested their money wisely and had more money to give to the master when he returned from his trip. The third servant, however, buried his money, and, therefore, had no extra money to give his master when he returned from his trip. Because of their investments (or lack thereof), the master was pleased with the first two servants but furious with the third, who made no investment with the money his master gave him.
Jesus stated that the story He told in Matthew 25 was a picture of God's kingdom. You see, God has given us all different talents and gifts, and He expects us to make an investment with them. He wants us to use these gifts and talents for His glory. He wants us to make an eternal impact with gifts and talents He has given us. What gifts and talents has God given you? How are you using them to make an investment for the kingdom of God? If you invest them wisely, one day, He will say to you as He said to the two servants in the story who made good investments, "Well done."
What talents and gifts has God given you? In your journal, make a list of these gifts and talents. When you have made a list, brainstorm ways you can use these gifts and talents to serve God. One way you can do this is by serving at our church. You can sign up to serve using the Decisions tab on our App. Commit this week to serve Him by using at least one of these gifts for Him.
“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.
“The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.
“After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’
“The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
“The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’
“The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
“Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’
“But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’
“Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
