I wrote this in the August 2005.
It is about how we use our most precious gift, time.
Matthew 25: 14-28
14"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. 19"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.' 21"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' 22"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more’. 23"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' 24"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.' 26"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. 28" 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
I have always thought of this parable in relation to spiritual gifts, or our finances. But when I read it this time I thought about the “talent of time.”
Early in this trial, on July 4th, I was begging God for Andrea’s healing. I knew God was in control, His will would be done, and it would be in His time. I thought what if this was time for Andrea to die. I begged God for more time. Surely, she could do so much more for the Lord alive then dead. Surely God could better show His glory by healing her then in her death. Then I felt the Lord say, “Do you not think Peter, Paul or any of the disciples could have said the same? What about Christ, He only preached for three years and lived for 33 years, surely if He would have lived until He was 70 He could have done so much more for Me.” But is that true? God has given us all a talent of time, a time to live on this earth, and we will answer for how we used that time. God does not owe us more time because we are faced with the possible end, and we see how we have wasted our time. Most of us never know when we are facing death and we go about our life missing the reason we are given the gift of life, the gift of time. We are to glorify God, to fear our creator to share the gift of salvation we have received. What have I done with my time? I have a chest of military medals and annual reports with glowing comments of my accomplishments. I’ve bought a house and I have many things to make me comfortable. But where does that fit in God’s priorities? Who do these serve? Me. What have I done with this finite gift of time God has given me? Where am I laying up my treasures? I learned facing death brings you face to face with the gift of time and how precious it is. We will all answer for what we did with our most precious gift the one gift given to each of us, the one gift that enables all other gifts, the talent of time.
Then I began to reflect on my request of God for more time, and how much better I will use that time if God. And I felt God tell me, “Why do you ask for more time and waste today? Why do you ask for the future and waste the present? Is not today a gift?”
I was convicted that I was asking God for more time and promising what I will do for Him, and treating the present as if it was mine, a given. This very second is a gift from God just as tonight is, tomorrow, next month and next year will be. What was I going to do with tomorrow as it becomes today? When was I going to start serving God? Was it always a day away? And here I was asking for more time, was I really going to treat it any different then the time God had already given me? God told me to be faithful with what I had, and don’t worry about tomorrow. Begging for healing so we “could” serve God was a ridiculous request when I was squandering the days he already gave me. I learned that everyday we need to serve God, and stop spending our time for earthly gains. Because one day we will all face death, and we will all answer what we did with God’s greatest gift…the talent of time.
I have always thought of this parable in relation to spiritual gifts, or our finances. But when I read it this time I thought about the “talent of time.”
Early in this trial, on July 4th, I was begging God for Andrea’s healing. I knew God was in control, His will would be done, and it would be in His time. I thought what if this was time for Andrea to die. I begged God for more time. Surely, she could do so much more for the Lord alive then dead. Surely God could better show His glory by healing her then in her death. Then I felt the Lord say, “Do you not think Peter, Paul or any of the disciples could have said the same? What about Christ, He only preached for three years and lived for 33 years, surely if He would have lived until He was 70 He could have done so much more for Me.” But is that true? God has given us all a talent of time, a time to live on this earth, and we will answer for how we used that time. God does not owe us more time because we are faced with the possible end, and we see how we have wasted our time. Most of us never know when we are facing death and we go about our life missing the reason we are given the gift of life, the gift of time. We are to glorify God, to fear our creator to share the gift of salvation we have received. What have I done with my time? I have a chest of military medals and annual reports with glowing comments of my accomplishments. I’ve bought a house and I have many things to make me comfortable. But where does that fit in God’s priorities? Who do these serve? Me. What have I done with this finite gift of time God has given me? Where am I laying up my treasures? I learned facing death brings you face to face with the gift of time and how precious it is. We will all answer for what we did with our most precious gift the one gift given to each of us, the one gift that enables all other gifts, the talent of time.
Then I began to reflect on my request of God for more time, and how much better I will use that time if God. And I felt God tell me, “Why do you ask for more time and waste today? Why do you ask for the future and waste the present? Is not today a gift?”
I was convicted that I was asking God for more time and promising what I will do for Him, and treating the present as if it was mine, a given. This very second is a gift from God just as tonight is, tomorrow, next month and next year will be. What was I going to do with tomorrow as it becomes today? When was I going to start serving God? Was it always a day away? And here I was asking for more time, was I really going to treat it any different then the time God had already given me? God told me to be faithful with what I had, and don’t worry about tomorrow. Begging for healing so we “could” serve God was a ridiculous request when I was squandering the days he already gave me. I learned that everyday we need to serve God, and stop spending our time for earthly gains. Because one day we will all face death, and we will all answer what we did with God’s greatest gift…the talent of time.
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