The question posed by the Parable of the Talents on yesterday was why did the lord send the one talent servant into utter darkness when he failed to produce any yield with his talent? For some time I pondered this question and in my spiritual immaturity I determined that God did not understand how difficult it was for people born on the wrong side of the tracks to know how to get “out of a rut (I know I can really take things to the next level).” One day I voiced this sentiment in church – posing the question as to how could God send children born in impoverished conditions to hell when much of what they saw was people making a living the best way they could – even if had to be through illegal means. I wanted to know how a just God could impose a sentence on a people who grew up under unjust conditions because they didn’t make just decisions!
However, the way I asked the question was “how could God curse a generation unto the third or fourth generation of them that hate him, when the children were born into those conditions and could not help who their parents were.
Out of the blue, one of the church mothers came up with words that changed my life – when she uttered the words, “Jesus came to break the curse!” Jesus is he one who levels the playing field and allows us to TURN from sin and punishment and find life – and in so doing will allow the children born in bodnage to be free, with the sins of the Father no longer having a hold on the children!
Nothing in my life changed on the outside – but everything changed on the inside – for at that point – I knew – that it did not matter who or what my parents had done – my children could live under the blessings of God. Not only that, my students could live under that blessing – my neighbors next door who lived like heathens – the people I passed on the street that had no hope – they could be free too!
But how could they be free – unless somebody told them about Jesus? How could they change their life, if no one let them know it was possible? It became clear to me – I had to be the one – I had to multiply my talent – that gift of salvation that God had given to me – had to be extended to as many as the Lord would put in my path. So starting at home, I had to spread it abroad – to my Sunday School class, to my students I taught at school, to my next door neighbors, to the “sinners” who came in the church that needed to know God’s word – these were the people at my hand – this is what God wanted me to give, my talent – my knowledge of Him – to share with those who didn’t know.
There is someone at your hand – and there is the gift of God in you – that God wants you to extend with your hand – or it may be your voice – to speak a word, or sing a song to calm a distressed and broken spirit. It may be that God wants you to use your hands to cook a meal for someone who is sick, or to drive your car to take someone who has no transportation to the doctor -whatever is in your hand – originates in your heart – it is that talent that God wants you to multiply, for every time you give – it extends far beyond your reach as the ripples that expand after a rock is thrown into a river.
I could go on and on – but it is my prayer – that you will bring those questions you have before the Lord – be honest with God – be honest with yourself – bring those questions that are preventing you from multiplying your talent and let’s see the world (at least our world) set free!
God Bless,
Maria