A Response of Gratitude
”‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained ….” Matthew 25:20
“Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, ….” Matthew 25:24
Our responses, no matter how guarded, often reveal the heart. FBI investigators know this. In an article in the FBI enforcement bulletin, Special Agent Adams, cited the example of Susan Smith’s responses to the questions of the investigators that made her a suspect. Susan Smith, if you remember, was the tragic story of the mother who deliberately let her car plunge into South Carolina’s Long Lake with her sons still strapped in their seats, and then told the reporters that they were abducted at gunpoint. In her otherwise carefully crafted story, it was her words that betrayed her heart. In her statement she had referred to her children in the past tense which tipped the investigators to suspect that she somehow knew they were dead.
In the parable of the talents, the response of the man with one talent betrayed his heart. If you are not familiar, Jesus told this parable of the talents in Matthew 25 to elucidate the concept of the Kingdom of God. The master gives his three servants some of his money to invest. To the first he gives five talents, the next two, and the last one, one talent. He comes back, and the first two have invested wisely and doubled their money; the last one has hid it in the ground. It is interesting to hear the response. The first two start their response with, “Lord you delivered to me…” and then describe what they did with it. The last one starts by saying, “Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you do not sow” and then goes on to give him his one talent back. We see a surprising insight into the heart of the one-talent man from his response. His words betray his heart. The first two saw what they had. Their words reveal it: “Lord you delivered to me …” . The last one saw what he did not have, and made a judgment on the giver – “Lord I knew you to be …”. He concluded that his master was a hard man, and expected a lot by not giving him much.
I think that our lives are shaped by how we respond to what has been given to us. Do we look at what we have and what we are to do with what we have, or do we look at what we do not have. The man with one talent devalued his gift, and lost it. It was taken from him and given to the first one. If we will value what has been given us, we will have more; if we devalue what has been given us, we will loose all. Jesus ends the parable with “For 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.”
Much of our problems begin with the way we view our gifts, our possessions. Whether we see what has been given us and value it, or what has been withheld, and devalue what is ours. It is written of Esau that “he despised his birthright.” He did not value what God had given him and sold it for a bowl of soup. The Israelites in the desert looked at manna that was provided, and thought of what they did not have – Egypt’s spicy foods. Adam and Eve fixed their eyes upon one thing withheld from them, ignoring the whole earth that was given them.
Are we valuing what has been given us? Friend, are you obsessed with the job you do not have instead of giving thanks for the one you do have. Are you worrying about the spouse you do not have instead of thanking God for the one you do have? How about all the other possessions, the talents & gifts? This thanksgiving, may the Lord change our perspective and we look to what God has so graciously given us. Have a blessed Thanksgiving!
Danesh Manik
__________________________________________
"A Soul’s Anchor” is a daily inspirational message prepared to challenge your mind, inspire your heart, and motivate you to anchor your soul in the person of Jesus Christ.
If you know a friend who would enjoy receiving "A Soul’s Anchor" in their email box each day, tell them they can sign up by emailing us at subscribe@asoulsanchor.org . The messages may also be read at our website, http://www.asoulsanchor.org. To unsubscribe, please email, unsubscribe@asoulsanchor.org with your email in the subject line. To change to a weekly instead of a daily subscription, email weekly@asoulsanchor.org with your email in the subject line. For receiving messages by mail, please write to us at A Soul’s Anchor, India International Church, 3654 Okemos Rd., Okemos, MI 48864
“Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, ….” Matthew 25:24
Our responses, no matter how guarded, often reveal the heart. FBI investigators know this. In an article in the FBI enforcement bulletin, Special Agent Adams, cited the example of Susan Smith’s responses to the questions of the investigators that made her a suspect. Susan Smith, if you remember, was the tragic story of the mother who deliberately let her car plunge into South Carolina’s Long Lake with her sons still strapped in their seats, and then told the reporters that they were abducted at gunpoint. In her otherwise carefully crafted story, it was her words that betrayed her heart. In her statement she had referred to her children in the past tense which tipped the investigators to suspect that she somehow knew they were dead.
In the parable of the talents, the response of the man with one talent betrayed his heart. If you are not familiar, Jesus told this parable of the talents in Matthew 25 to elucidate the concept of the Kingdom of God. The master gives his three servants some of his money to invest. To the first he gives five talents, the next two, and the last one, one talent. He comes back, and the first two have invested wisely and doubled their money; the last one has hid it in the ground. It is interesting to hear the response. The first two start their response with, “Lord you delivered to me…” and then describe what they did with it. The last one starts by saying, “Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you do not sow” and then goes on to give him his one talent back. We see a surprising insight into the heart of the one-talent man from his response. His words betray his heart. The first two saw what they had. Their words reveal it: “Lord you delivered to me …” . The last one saw what he did not have, and made a judgment on the giver – “Lord I knew you to be …”. He concluded that his master was a hard man, and expected a lot by not giving him much.
I think that our lives are shaped by how we respond to what has been given to us. Do we look at what we have and what we are to do with what we have, or do we look at what we do not have. The man with one talent devalued his gift, and lost it. It was taken from him and given to the first one. If we will value what has been given us, we will have more; if we devalue what has been given us, we will loose all. Jesus ends the parable with “For 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.”
Much of our problems begin with the way we view our gifts, our possessions. Whether we see what has been given us and value it, or what has been withheld, and devalue what is ours. It is written of Esau that “he despised his birthright.” He did not value what God had given him and sold it for a bowl of soup. The Israelites in the desert looked at manna that was provided, and thought of what they did not have – Egypt’s spicy foods. Adam and Eve fixed their eyes upon one thing withheld from them, ignoring the whole earth that was given them.
Are we valuing what has been given us? Friend, are you obsessed with the job you do not have instead of giving thanks for the one you do have. Are you worrying about the spouse you do not have instead of thanking God for the one you do have? How about all the other possessions, the talents & gifts? This thanksgiving, may the Lord change our perspective and we look to what God has so graciously given us. Have a blessed Thanksgiving!
Danesh Manik
__________________________________________
"A Soul’s Anchor” is a daily inspirational message prepared to challenge your mind, inspire your heart, and motivate you to anchor your soul in the person of Jesus Christ.
If you know a friend who would enjoy receiving "A Soul’s Anchor" in their email box each day, tell them they can sign up by emailing us at subscribe@asoulsanchor.org . The messages may also be read at our website, http://www.asoulsanchor.org. To unsubscribe, please email, unsubscribe@asoulsanchor.org with your email in the subject line. To change to a weekly instead of a daily subscription, email weekly@asoulsanchor.org with your email in the subject line. For receiving messages by mail, please write to us at A Soul’s Anchor, India International Church, 3654 Okemos Rd., Okemos, MI 48864
posted by Danesh Manik | 4:24 PM
|
0 comments
