Digging a hole for your treasure?

A few days ago I reviewed my invested money.  I’m not a rich man but I do look for a decent return on what I have accumulated by the grace of God. I choose to invest rather conservatively.  Some funds offer the potential of larger returns, but they also include the possibility of significant losses because they include greater risk.  That money needs to be working for me, gaining value for that time in my life when I am no longer capable of producing an income.

Did you know that the Lord has given YOU resources and desires a return on His investment?  

In one of His teaching stories about God’s rule (about the way the Kingdom works), Jesus told about a master who was going away for a long time.  He called three of his trusted employees and gave each of them some of his wealth to manage while he was away.  The amount they received was appropriate to their abilities. One received 5 shares, another got 2 shares, and the last was entrusted with 1 share.  The master was not being unfair, he was wise!  “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." (Matthew 25:16-18, NLT)

Two of them were diligent and resourceful and over time their efforts paid off with a good return.  It is that third one that catches my attention. He dug a hole!  “At least the money is safe,” he told himself, excusing his failure to work.  How did the master look at this choice?  First, we learn that the first two were equally commended.  Their faithfulness, despite major difference in return, was recognized.  This master was truly fair, honoring diligence, not just results.  But, the one who dug a hole?  He earned nothing but scorn!  "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." (Matthew 25:24-28, NLT)  Sobering, isn’t it?

What resources has the Lord invested in you?  

What opportunities has He placed in your life?

Are you diligent or are you just digging a hole?

When we stand before Christ Jesus, the King, in glory He will be totally fair and He will see it all.  Let’s make it our desire to use what He has given – health, spiritual gifts, family, community, wealth – to advance His cause.  Instead of focusing exclusively on results (that gets discouraging), let’s focus on doing what each of us can do this day. 

The word from the Word  - “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval.”  (2 Timothy 2:15)

Don’t dig a hole!

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Your heart ripped up, like a newly plowed field?

Sleep eluded me as I thought and prayed about the work to which God has called me. What is that?  I am called to share His gracious offer of eternal life with others, to push back against darkness, to point people to hope and purpose. The methods that were effective in 1987, a half of a life-time ago, may not serve Him well in 2017.  “So, Lord,” I prayed, “how do we do your work in our place and this time in a way that honors You and invites people to know You?”  My thoughts went to Nehemiah.  He, too, felt the call of God and knew what needed to be done. His question, “How, Lord?”

Nehemiah heard the stories of the land of his father.  The city of God, Jerusalem, had been devastated by invasion. He remembered hearing of the splendor of God's Temple, of the shining city on the hill, but today he heard only of broken down walls, ruins where the temple had once stood and God’s Spirit stirred deeply in him. He said,  "When I heard these things, I sat down and wept."  But, Nehemiah was not content to wring his hands and shake his head!  A holy passion fired a vision in him.  It was something of an impossible dream - rebuild Jerusalem.  This man, who lived in a city that was at least a full month's travel from Jerusalem, 'saw' a new city arising from the ruins. The rest of his life was consumed with making it happen. That's what we call - vision!

A lot of literature is written about vision and the power found in it.  True, enough, but the other side of that same idea informs us that great spiritual visions are birthed in moments when some great need and/or deep sorrow becomes too obvious to ignore. Neither need nor sorrow are things we willingly experience. If we will not look at the need that is around us, if we refuse to weep over a broken world, it is not likely we will dream large. Left to ourselves we will choose the safest route, the way that is well traveled, and take it! We need to be disturbed.  Just as a farmer must rip open the sod in order to plant the seed that will bring the harvest,  God must plow our hearts, opening us to the seed of His Spirit.

A person in whom God has planted a true vision is a dangerous, often difficult, single-minded individual who disturbs others! Nehemiah's good life in the palace of King Artaxerxes was over the moment he started to dream about Jerusalem. He left a safe city to journey in the places where bandits roved, to work harder than he had ever worked before in his life. His enthusiasm inspired hundreds and consumed treasures of time and money.  And, he got the job done, albeit not without struggle, not without disappointment, not without pain. 

Let’s allow the Spirit to disturb us. Let yourself see those ‘impossible’ situations even though becoming aware makes you feel uneasy, even sorrowful.

Let God break your heart and plant the seed of a holy vision!  Consider that from that see a vision can grow that will transform you and your world.

Christian, are you drifting from day to day, living a life frittered away on trivialities?  Or, are you purposeful, owned by God, making a measurable difference in the places where you live?  Don’t be fooled into thinking that the only great visions require you to move to some new place or do some big dramatic thing.  We are all called first to our family, our local church, to faithfulness right here, right now. Don't be one of those people who focuses his dreams on Self: who looks for a way to escape 'real life' with some quick fix, instant access to money, a new lover, or something equally selfish! That is not what God wants for you.

Instead, take the situations of your life - good and bad, desirable and not so wonderful, 'hopeless' and promising - and lay them out before God. With child-like faith simply ask Him -
"Lord, what can you do with all of this?"  Declare Christ the Lord of all and start to serve Him, right where you are, doing the things you know are right. Love, serve, worship, give, pray, love more... and allow God to lead you into His purposes. If you're looking for easy, don't even start! Easy is not what God is about. Leave that to Staples!

The word from the Word comes from two passages today. May they fire you with passion to do the will of God.  "Fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you ... For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:6-7, NLT) And expect Him to fulfill this promise: "Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us." (Ephesians 3:19-20, The Message)

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Open Up Our Hearts

Everywhere around us people live in pain

Lost and lonely broken hearts and shame

The hungry and the homeless the victims of abuse

If we only stop and listen

We'll surely hear the truth

Open up our hearts O God

Help us break our hearts of stone

Fill our lives with love for You alone

Open up our hearts O God

Help us make a bold new start

We hear Your voice calling us

To open up our hearts

They're bullied in our playgrounds

They're sleeping in our parks

Or the billion lives that war has torn apart

All they want is justice a chance to live in peace

We're called to see the face of God

In everyone we meet

We're called to share the vision

We're called to live the dream

With Jesus in every word and deed

We're part of new beginnings

We're chosen for change

We're standing up and reaching out

To find a better way

Michael Mangan

© 2007 Litmus Productions (Admin. by World Library Publications)

CCLI License # 810055

Hey, let me help you!

When someone does the unexpected for you it feels good, right?  When Bev illness was critical and my energy reserves were near zero, I often came home to find our laundry done and left neatly folded, ready to be put away.  A small thing? Perhaps but in that context, it was a huge gift! When it snows, I drive across the road to my neighbor’s home and use my plow to clear his drive. He’s grateful for that gesture of kindness that costs me so little. In the ‘hurry up’ world in which I live, I try to remember to speak a kind word to the person waiting on me.  Too many times to remember, when some person is tired or stressed, I ask, “Been a long day?” Most of the time they respond to that little kindness with a smile. Why? Because I ‘served’ them by caring. Then, too, there are those days when I am pressed or absorbed in my responsibilities and I forget to care or become impatient. It hurts me when I note that I have diminished another’s worth by being selfish!

You probably have stories of kindness as well as lack of compassion, too.
Perhaps some of you have known something worse than that, having been treated with contempt or cruelty.

How do we respond to every situation?  Read on.

In this season of Lent, when we remind ourselves of the disciplines of the Christian life, let us not forget that discipline of SERVICE. In worthy book, The Celebration of Discipline, a practical description of our Christian life, Richard Foster includes these powerful lines. “Nothing disciplines the inordinate desires of the flesh like service, and nothing transforms the desires of the flesh like serving in hiddenness. The flesh whines against service but screams against hidden service. It strains and pulls for honor and recognition. It will devise subtle, religiously acceptable means to call attention to the service rendered. If we stoutly refuse to give in to this lust of the flesh, we crucify it. Every time we crucify the flesh, we crucify our pride and arrogance.”  Before you go on, would you go back and read those words again.

Americans in 2017 are noisy about their ‘rights.’  So many are desperately concerned that someone will steal their dignity.  This attitude of ‘serve me’ has crept into the Church.  In all of our clamor for recognition and even for ‘fairness’ we seem to have forgotten the command of our Savior and Lord to forget ourselves, to give ourselves away as we say, “Hey, let me help you.”  Jesus said, "But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves." (Luke 22:26-28, NLT)

Perhaps those words about service seem only like drudgery, duty?

Do they read as soul-killing Law to you? 

Truthfully, service without love turns into servitude. However, when we love others because we are loved, we find life and joy in doing laundry, listening to another’s sorrow, caring for the sick, teaching a class of rowdy kids, cleaning a bathroom, or doing our job with excellence even when the supervisor seems blind to our efforts.  Christian, ultimately we are serving Jesus.  Remember His words, “whatever you do for the least, you do it for Me!”  Put the face of Jesus on your kids who forget to thank you, on that spouse who is careless about appreciation, on that person in your extended family who asks much and gives nothing.

Here is a word from the Word.  Jesus told a story of a man who hired people throughout the day. Some worked the full day, some just an hour, but all received the same pay!  When there was a protest, the employer answered it like this.  Hear the truth found in these words. Our focus for ourselves is not ‘fairness’ but ‘faithfulness.’  "He replied to the one speaking for the rest, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair. We agreed on the wage of a dollar, didn’t we? So take it and go. I decided to give to the one who came last the same as you. Can’t I do what I want with my own money? Are you going to get stingy because I am generous?’

“Here it is again, the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first.” (Matthew 20:13-16, The Message)

Lord, help us to delight in serving, knowing that You never forget what is done in Your Name. Amen.

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A Charge To Keep I Have

A charge to keep I have

A God to glorify

A never dying soul to save

And fit it for the sky

To serve the present age

My calling to fulfill

O may it all my powr's engage

To do my Master's will

Arm me with jealous care

As in Thy sight to live

And O Thy servant Lord prepare

A strict account to give

Charles Wesley

© Words: Public Domain