Author	Thread: Use What You Have
Admin	Use What You Have Posted : 9 Nov, 2011 06:50 AM In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. . . . �Romans 12:6 Jesus told the story of a wealthy man who was leaving on a long trip. He called his servants together and delivered to each a measure of money. The man "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" (Matthew 25:15). In his absence, one servant invested wisely and turned his five bags into ten. The other took two bags and multiplied them to four. And the last guy took his single bag and buried it in the ground. Here is what we need to remember: God is the one who distributes everything. Some people live long lives. Some people live short lives. Some people have great health. Some people have poor health. Some people have great talents. Some people have only a few. But we deal with what we're given. Sometimes we think, I wish I was as beautiful as her. Or, I wish I was as smart as him. Or, I wish I was as talented as that person. You have what God has given you. So take it and cultivate it and use it. I have seen people with very little ability work very hard, be very diligent, and become very successful in life. And I have seen others who had so much talent, ability, and everything going their way, and they squandered it and threw it away. So it is really up to us as to what we do with what God has given us. We have all been given certain spiritual gifts when we put our faith in Christ. So take those gifts that God has given, cultivate them, and use them. By Greg Laury Post Reply
View Profile History	Use What You Have Posted : 9 Nov, 2011 07:02 AM "Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them." � Isaiah 43:7 In Matthew 25, we find a story Jesus told about three servants who were each given a certain amount to invest while their master was away. When he returned, two of the three servants had multiplied their gifts, while the third had simply buried it in the ground. The third servant offered this excuse: "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" (Matthew 5:24�25). To loosely paraphrase, "It's not my fault." Some people have a sense of entitlement. And when they are irresponsible and squander what has been given to them, they have the audacity to actually blame the person who gave it to them. The master told this man, "You wicked and lazy servant! . . . Why didn't you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it" (verses 26�27). You know, there are people like this today. They are believers. They have been forgiven by God. And they are going to heaven when they die. But they are lazy. They don't take the life that God has given them and use it for His glory. They think it is all about them, how everyone should cater to them, how everyone should be serving them. They never think about serving others. They never think about glorifying God. We have to ask ourselves the question, Why am I here on this earth to begin with? The answer is that we are here to bring glory to God. We are here to honor His name. So let's take what God has given and use it for His glory. By Greg Laury Post Reply
View Profile History	Use What You Have Posted : 9 Nov, 2011 07:31 AM "Men of Galilee," they said, "why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!" �Acts 1:11 Christians aren't the only ones who believe in the second coming of Christ. A Gallup poll was taken that revealed 66 percent of Americans believe that Jesus Christ is coming back to the earth in the future. That is 25 percent more people than those who claim to be born again. Jesus Christ is coming back again. So what we are to do as we await His return? How are we to live until He comes? The Bible has very specific things it says that we ought to be engaged in as Christians as we look for Him to come back. Jesus told a parable in Luke 19 about a wealthy man who was taking a long trip. He called his servants together, gave each one a sum of money, and said, "Invest this for me while I am gone" (verse 13). What has been given to each of us are our lives, time, and resources. And as Christians, another thing has been given to us: a commission. Jesus said, "Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you . . ." (Matthew 28:19�20). We have been given a sacred trust. We have been given a commission. That means that we want to invest our lives, our time, and our resources in the work of evangelism. Because one day when we leave this earth, we will leave it all behind. But that which we have invested for the glory of God will be waiting as an eternal reward. As I have said before, you can't take it with you, but you can send it on ahead. And when we invest in God's kingdom, that is exactly what we're doing. By Greg Laury Post Reply