Faithful Use of God-Given Resources
We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. . . . (Romans 12:7)
One thing taught large in the Holy Scriptures is that while God gives His gifts freely. He will require a strict accounting of them at the end of the road. Each man is personally responsible for his store, be it large or small, and will be required to explain his use of it before the judgment seat of Christ. . . .
Then there are talents. These are included in the total store granted us by our Heavenly Father. Whether we have one talent or many, we must render up account finally, and the factor that will decide for us is not how many talents we had but what we did with them. The story of the man who hid his talent in the ground makes disquieting reading for the careless Christian who is failing to make use of his gifts. Some with modest gifts have made a brilliant record of spiritual achievement; others with far greater abilities have played through the summer of life like the grasshopper in the fable and have let their gifts lie unused while time idled by. This, we repeat, is tragedy, and that it is common does not make it any the less tragic.
Money is another item. American Christians make so much of it and spend it so lavishly that they have unconsciously learned to take it as a matter for granted and have forgotten that they will be strictly judged for their use of it. The Lord still stands by the treasury and observes what is placed therein. This has been turned into a joke by humorists who are ready always to find something funny in every reference to money. But it is safe to predict that there will be little laughter when the Lord with eyes like a flame of fire looks into our accounts and makes His just audit. We might do well right now to do a little auditing ourselves while there is time to make amends for our failures.
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Prayer
Father, give me wisdom in the use of resources You have given and faithful exercise of them as unto You.
Thought
We have differing gifts, natural talents, human resources--all grace gifts from God. They vary in degree, intensity of quality. But what counts is their faithful use for God's glory.
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