11/16/2011
Opportunity Risk
“The servant given one thousand said, 'Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.'
"The master was furious. 'That's a terrible way to live! It's criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest.
"'Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this "play-it-safe" who won't go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.'
Matthew 25:24-30 The Message
I have not written a blog post in a while. I have been terribly busy with school and sometimes did not really have anything valuable to contribute (or so I thought). I think it’s been all writing papers and dealing with life as usual for me these last few weeks. But a couple of weeks ago, God had me spend a considerable amount of time in prayer and fasting. I have several different things going on in my life and I was really confused as to how I was going to do them all, so I did nothing instead. I just kept going with the flow of things, which meant just go to school. I figured it was ok to just be still until I knew which way to go. But God put a sense of urgency in me to take steps in the direction He had already given me to do. Part of the reason I left my job in 2010 was to start a ministry that would be a non-traditional ministry. But because I didn’t know what that looked like, I just kept it in the planning phase in my head. But there are some practical things I could be doing right now to get that going. I just wasn’t doing it. God gave me a swift kick in the butt to get me going and now I’m back, taking action again. That is the fortunate part of the story for me.
In this passage in Matthew 25, Jesus is using a parable to illustrate what the Kingdom of God is like. He is basically saying that God gives us all something that we have to make use of in this world. Some people have multiple “talents” and to others He has given just one. But all of us have the responsibility to not just sit on what we have been given. Eventually, the Master will return to collect on what he has given you to use. And if He finds that you have buried it, then the bible says things will not be good for you.
Many people think that by taking a risk and going out to use what God has given them will end up in such failure that they sit and do nothing. They think that it is better to play it safe and make sure that they don’t lose what God has given them. But the bible speaks contrary to this idea. The bible actually says that if you don’t use it you will lose it, and the Master will NOT be happy about that. Yes, God is loving and forgiving, but the risk that you think you are taking by using what He gave you is NOTHING compared to the risk you take by not using what He gave you.
The servant who buried his talents said that he knew the character of the Master and figured that it would be better to play it safe instead of risking what he was given. But the problem with this line of thinking is that he said that he KNEW the Master. His actions did not line up with what he said. If he knew the Master, why would he bury what he was given? This passage speaks to Christians today who claim to know God. If you truly know God, why would you think that you have the right to sit on what you have been given without consequence? Most people function under the assumption that this passage is speaking about the future return of Christ, so they figure they have their whole lives to get busy on what God has given them. I am telling you now that this message is not just for some random future date when Jesus comes back. This message is for now! You have no idea when the window of opportunity that God is giving to you will close for this season, so instead of assuming that you have all the time in the world to get busy using your gifts, you are better off using what you have in the best way you know how until God gives you more instruction. It is better to be found using your gifts and talents than not. Even if you mess it all up, at least you tried. The worst thing you can do according to Scripture is do nothing. That is a recipe for disaster in the kingdom of God. Make the best of what you have been given without fear, and God will reward you with an opportunity that is well worth the risk. To those who think they know God, act like you know God and move.
If God is calling you to start a business, then move. If God s calling you to go back to school, then move. If God is calling you to start a ministry (Shayna), then move. If God is calling you to write a book, then move. If God is calling you to move to another city, then move. If God is calling you to buy a house, then move. If God is calling you to do whatever, then move. If God is calling you to it, then God has already given you what you need to make it happen. It is up to you to use what you’ve got to get what God (and you) want. God is not asking you to use anything He hasn’t already given you. The servant in the parable wasn’t asked to use the five talents of someone else. Just the one he was given. You have no idea when your door will close or if you will have time to try again. If you feel like you have been sitting on what God gave you out of fear, then repent and start moving again. You may find that God is gracious enough to give you another chance. Move in faith, not fear.
