We think about all kinds of various things on a daily basis but controlling what we think about, especially when it’s negative, can be challenging. How do we limit our negative thoughts and instead focus on the positive that will bring about good fruit?
Michael Link
Our Unique Talents
Each one of us is blessed with unique talents which God has given us to use. There are examples in the Bible of individuals who had specific talents for God’s purpose.
The Parable of the Talents
We all have talents. How we use the talents we have is the next step. For God’s people, there are specific talents God has given us so we can use them in a way that will bring us to the most important goal that has been set aside for us. We individually are responsible for ourselves, for we individually will give account for everything that we have done and based on how we have lived our lives, we will then receive our reward. Jesus Christ speaks about the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30, starting off by saying in verse 14, “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.”
In the next verse, talents were given to each according to their own abilities. Everyone is different and goes through different trials, some more than others. The example of Job comes to mind who lost everything and yet his self-righteousness was tested, just like that which happened to Lucifer, before he became Satan the Devil. The only difference here was that Job finally recognized his problem and asked for forgiveness, unlike Satan. Self-righteousness and pride got the better of Lucifer.
Another example of someone who most likely went through so much more than we have endured was the Apostle Paul, and he proved himself worthy through the talents that he had been given, putting them to beneficial use as we can correlate this with the profitable servants in the following two verses in Matthew 25:16-17. However, in verse 18, the one who received a talent and hid it in the ground did not put it to good use.
After a while, in verse 19, “the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them” based on what they did individually, which refers to the Day of Judgement where all will give account for what they have said and done (compare Matthew 12:36).
In the following verses (20-23), those who received certain talents and used them wisely had overcome according to their abilities. The lord states, however, “you have been faithful over a few things,” but not everything, for they were not perfect, but they didn’t give up and they stuck with the Truth and put their talents to use, based on their abilities. God will not test us beyond our control. And yet the lord still made them ruler “over many things.”
This was not the same fate of the one who tried to justify his reasoning by hiding his talent in the ground (verses 24-25). The lord described this person as wicked in verse 26 because this servant didn’t stand up and therefore gave in, compromised, and was not bold enough to stand for the Truth which would eventually lead him to unrighteousness and sin. This servant knew all these things; he knew God’s Way of Life with its trials, and he knew that God would punish disobedience, as he himself described in verse 24, KNOWING what was right and wrong.
In verse 27, God was specific in His instructions, in His Law, how we are to obey, what we are to do, because it has been given to those who have been called to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, but to all those who haven’t been called, it has not been given (compare Matthew 13:11). This servant KNEW this, or else why would he have been afraid?
His talent will be taken from him as explained in verse 28 and given to another servant. Continuing in verse 29, “for to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.” Remember our crown of life, for we are to hold fast to what we have so it won’t be taken away and given to someone else (compare Revelation 3:11). People come and go, as we have all witnessed throughout the years. When someone leaves God’s Church, that someone will be replaced by someone else whom God calls.
Everything that we see around us is physical and only temporary anyway. The chance for Eternal Life will also be taken away if we are negligent in using our God-given talents in an irresponsible way. The Parable of the Talents is a valuable lesson for us all and we can be forever thankful for the gift of knowledge that God has given us, but we still need to do our part so we can be counted worthy to enter His Kingdom and not end up like the unprofitable servant.
Thoughtful Action
How do we react when we are in a situation where we would feel offended by what the other person may do or say? Do others feel offended by things that we may do or say, even if the things that we are doing are right in God’s eyes? What did Jesus Christ do when He was on this earth and faced with these same kinds of situations? Was He being offensive in any way and how did He take offense?
Thank God!
The expression, “Thank God” is typically used as a casual phrase without a proper acknowledgment to God. However, when WE use that phrase, do we truly believe it?
Immortality or Death?
What is it like to be immortal, to not experience pain and death anymore? There are those in the Bible who had a glimpse of what it was like to not feel pain or death, in certain examples. Christ, when He was on the earth, was able to resurrect people from the dead. We will all experience that in the near future when Christ returns, a chance to be in God’s kingdom and have everlasting life.
Stick to the Plan
Just as we have a plan in our daily lives, God has a plan for us. Through many trials and tests we go through, we must keep in mind that this is all part of God’s plan for us to succeed.
The Not So Impossible Journey
Being the few chosen group of people that God has called out of this world is no easy road to travel as we are faced with challenges that only very few people can endure and overcome, something that can only be achieved with God’s help.
The Power of Three
To help us better become perfect and to succeed, we must apply hope, faith and love in our lives.
Fight Like Christians
The world relies on war to bring about peace, but that is not the way to achieve it. God never intended wars to be fought in the first place, as the Bible explains, but we are to be peacemakers. We do however fight against the god of this world. What do we need to do so we can be victorious?