"For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability." Matthew 25:14-15a, ESV
I am a half-talent girl who has spent her entire life trying to spin a 10-talent return on God's investment. Like, if I don't win the stock market lottery, God's going to be disappointed and angry with me.
I work to be the best Christian, mom, daughter, employee, etc., I can, all the while worrying about the innumerable things I'm not even touching, like visiting shut ins (I know a bunch of them), participating in church activities, and writing.
It. Is. Killing. Me.
I have read the above passage, heard it read, heard it preached more times than I can count. But as so often happens, God's Word hit me in a fresh way this week.
Hearing the Parable of the Talents read again, I initially felt that familiar cold wave of inadequacy. The curse of the buried talent. "I am sorry, God. I'm trying so hard. I am sorry."
But then, almost immediately, something "clicked" in my brain. "[He gave] to each according to his ability."
God is the giver, and God knows my ability.
If All This Talent Investing is killing me, then maybe I'm trying to invest the resources and opportunities God has given me in ways that He never intended. Worse yet, maybe I'm trying to invest "talents" He never entrusted to me in the first place.
God is the giver, God knows the servant, and God himself produces the return on his investment.
I. Can. Rest.
* * * * *
Because God is good - and because He knows I struggle to rest in his great goodness - we sang this song at church this morning, right after I wrote the above post. Rest, believer...and rejoice!
3 comments:
Have you worked also to be the best wife? I notice that role was left out of your list. The Church is called the Bride of Christ. What kind of Bride are you?
A lot of roles were left off the list, because there truly are too many to name. Anything missed that you would like to add, feel free to lump under the "etc." Your comment, however, makes me believe that you missed the point of this post entirely. I am loved and secure not because of anything that I have done - wife, mother, employee, etc. - but because of what Christ has done on my behalf. What kind of Bride am I? He calls me His Beloved!
(Also, "wife" does not equal "Bride of Christ," but to more directly answer the question I think you were asking, it's pretty safe to say that whatever role you want to examine - wife, mother, Christian, etc. - I have done a pretty crappy job. Thankfully, my Savior and the Bridegroom of the Church paid for me and covers me. <3 )
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