This world is temporary, and everybody's time on earth is a limited one.
The bible says in 1st John 2:17:
"The world and its desires are fading away,
but the person who does God's will remains forever."
While many people believe that its time to live for the 'here and now', Christians are called to a greater mission: To recognize that ALL our material things, and our time, are gifts from God, and therefore, we are needing to use these gifts wisely- in order to use our time, talents, and resources to show others: what God's love really looks like.
Easy to say.... a challenge to do.
In the bible it says: Matthew 19:30
"Many who are first will be last, and the last first."
Do we do things that put ourselves in last place,
in order to put other's needs first?
What about using our talents and resources to
invest in what God is doing in the world?
Do we keep our material resources to ourselves,
or do we use it to bring joy to others?
Reminds us of Matthew 25:13 (parable of the talents) in the bible:
13"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
14"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.25 So 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."
That story is great for all of us to question ourselves if we are investing the time, talents, and money God has given us for good of others, to show the greatness of God?
Or are we hiding those resources and talents from the world?
Or are we just using them, only for our own personal happiness?
For the times we become too greedy with the resources God has given us (as it can very easily happen if/when we forget our purpose), here's another applicable bible verse:
Jesus says in Matthew 19:24...
"I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through
the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to
enter the kingdom of God."
We cannot become too attached to the things of this world... it all belongs to God.
So... going forward, how can we use what God has given us, to show His love to others?
Hope we can all think of some things we can all do.
A great challenge for all of us. =)
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