Day 15: Use what you got!
For the last two weeks, we’ve been talking about what it means to get fully charged. First, we had to plug it in. We looked at what it means to stay connected to God, slow down enough to hear Him, and make our relationship with Him a priority. Then last week, we started to purge it. We looked at the things that fill our minds, drain our attention, steal our time, and pull our hearts away from God. But getting charged up isn’t the end goal. A phone that stays plugged into the wall doesn’t accomplish much. It’s charged so it can be used. So this week, we’re moving to the third part of our journey: Use It. God has given every one of us gifts, opportunities, influence, and a purpose. He didn’t fill us so we could sit on the sidelines. He wants to use what He has put in us to make a difference in the lives of the people around us.
Matthew 25: 14 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. 15 He 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.
16 “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. 17 The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. 18 But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.
19 “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. 20 The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’
21 “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
22 “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’
23 “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
24 “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. 25 I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’
26 “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, 27 why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’
28 “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. 29 To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. 30 Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
One of the easiest traps we fall into is comparing what God has given us with what He has given someone else. We look at somebody who can sing, preach, teach, lead, organize, encourage, or communicate and think, “I could never do that.” But God never asked you to be somebody else. He asked you to be faithful with what He gave you. Jesus tells a story in Matthew 25 about servants who were given different amounts. One received five talents, another two, and another one. The issue wasn’t how much they received. The issue was what they did with what they had been given. The servant with two wasn’t expected to produce five. He was simply expected to be faithful with his two.
That ought to take some pressure off of us. You don’t have to be the best. You don’t have to have the biggest platform. You don’t have to have somebody else’s personality, abilities, or opportunities. You just need to ask, “God, what have You put in my hands?” Maybe you can encourage people. Maybe you’re good at serving behind the scenes. Maybe you can teach. Maybe you can lead. Maybe you’re a good listener. Maybe you have a gift for hospitality. Maybe you’re good with kids. Maybe you have influence at your job, at school, on your team, or in your neighborhood. Whatever it is, don’t overlook it because it doesn’t look impressive compared to somebody else’s gift.
Sometimes we’re waiting for God to give us something bigger when God is simply waiting for us to be faithful with what we already have. Stop wishing for somebody else’s five and start using your two. God can do a lot with a surrendered life, even when what we have to offer doesn’t seem like much.
Today, ask yourself a simple question: What has God already put in my hands that I need to start using for Him?Maybe it’s a gift. Maybe it’s an opportunity. Maybe it’s your time. Maybe it’s your story. Maybe it’s your influence. Whatever it is, give it back to God and let Him use it. You’ve been getting charged. Now it’s time to Use It.
Today’s Prayer
God,
Thank You for everything You have placed in my life. Forgive me for the times I have compared myself to others and overlooked what You have given me. Help me to see the gifts, opportunities, influence, and abilities You have placed in my hands. I don’t want to waste them. I don’t want to sit on the sidelines waiting for something bigger. I want to be faithful with what You have already given me. Take what I have, use it for Your glory, and show me today where I can make a difference.
In the gift giving name of Jesus, amen.