It’s Your Serve!

When God created the universe, He just spoke and things appeared, but when God created man He got down into the dirt and got His hands dirty. Nothing else in all of creation called for that degree of focus, that depth of involvement by God.  Man was the only creature created in the image of God.  When we see someone get their hands dirty in a project, it means they are involved, they are invested.  From the beginning, God has been invested in the lives of men and women.  Many nonbelievers think we are just evolved dirt.  If that is the case then we have no purpose; we have no real value.   The problem is, many people (even people who believe in God); treat themselves like dirt.  If we do not see value in ourselves we will never reach our purpose or understand what we are supposed to be.  A lack of value for self keeps us from using our talents, from being fruitful, and from serving in kingdom work.  We are made in the image of God; we are made to be like Him, creative beings that work for the good of others.  Isaiah said it best…

“5 This is what God the Lord says—the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: 6 “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand.  I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, 7 to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.” Isaiah 42:5-7 NIV

Isaiah says here that we were created with purpose, not to waste our time, resources or talents.  We are to use our talents to live righteous lives that work in the kingdom.  Don’t waste your talents and don’t bury them.  It’s time to put our talents to work!  IT is time we follow the example God and get our hands dirty, that we get involved and serve!

Serving the Master

In Matthew 25:14-30 Jesus compares God to a master who gives his servants money to invest.  One servant received five talents, another received two talents, and then another received just one. The servants who received the five and two talents went “at once” and put the master’s talents to work.  Both of them doubled their investment.  They had a healthy and strong relationship with their master, so much so that they knew that their master rewarded bold action and loyalty.  They knew their master’s expectations and His spirit of grace, therefore there was no fear of failure.  However the servant who received one talent had a distorted view of his master; he saw his master as hard and vengeful.  With that distorted view he did nothing but bury his talent.  The master was indeed pleased with the bold behavior of his first two servants, but when it came to his servant who did nothing but hide his talent, he was angry.  It was not so much about the lack of results, the master was angry at the lack of effort and loyalty to his wishes. 

How do you view God?   Our view of God guides our behavior.  Do we see Him as an angry God that waits for us to fail, or do we see Him as a supportive God that rewards faithful obedience? 

When it comes to serving God, which servant are you more like?  Are you using your resources to serve Him and His church, or are you burying your resources in mundane activity?  God wants us to take our resources and serve in His kingdom, but he also wants us to know Him as a loving master who rewards our faithful desire to connect to Him.  So if you are ready to put your talents to work, start by using every resource you have to connect with Him.