Are you worthy of more?

The parable tells of a master who was leaving his home to travel, and before going gave his three servants different amounts of money. On returning from his travels, the master asked his servants for an account of the money given to them. The first servant reported that he was given five talents, and he had made five talents more. The master praised the servant as being good and faithful, gave him more responsibility because of his faithfulness, and invited the servant to be joyful together with him.

The second servant said that he had received two talents, and he had made two talents more. The master praised this servant in the same way as being good and faithful, giving him more responsibility and inviting the servant to be joyful together with him.

The last servant who had received one talent reported that knowing his master was a hard man, he buried his talent in the ground for safekeeping, and therefore returned the original amount to his master. The master called him a wicked and lazy servant, saying that he should have placed the money in the bank to generate interest. The master commanded that the one talent be taken away from that servant, and given to the servant with ten talents, because everyone that has much will be given more, and whoever that has a little, even the little that he has will be taken away. And the master ordered the servant to be thrown outside into the darkness where there is "weeping and gnashing of teeth."

FROM Matthew 25:14-30

I always looked at this parable as a money thing. Work hard and you get more. I never really thought it applied to other areas of life until today. A preacher by the name of Jimmy Evans enlightened me to this subject.

He asked...."Do you feel like you have a calling on your life? Do you feel like you are fulfilling that calling? Are you happy with what you ARE doing?"

He said that he was called to be a preacher at 17 though this did not come to fruition until much later in life. He said that there were many steps and a while process to bring him to where he was meant to be. That it takes time, hard work and effort to get to the goal.

I thought of this in my life. For instance my house. Why in the world would God give me more, when at times (ok alot of times) I don't take care or take pride in the one I have? Why would God give me more children if at times I am not giving 100% to them? Why would marriage be any better if I don't put forth the effort? Why do I expect to sit back and do as I will, and then grumble when things seem to fall apart?

Maybe the problem here is greed. Who wouldn't want everything for free? But as you see, from the parable that if you don't work hard at with what you have God will actually take from the poor and give to the rich (faithful). Perhaps that is where I am in my life. I have had this attitude of complacency and lethargy. I feel entitled to things just for being me...when in reality we have to work and truly do our best to receive more.

Maybe you are somewhere you never thought you would be. maybe you are stuck in a crummy place, knowing this is not what you were called to do. But sit back for just a minute and ask yourself..."am I doing my best with this?" If the answer is no, then go out there and put forth your best. Hold yourself to higher standards. Require more of yourself. This may just be a stepping stone to where God would have you to be, but in the meantime give your best where you are. You will be rewarded.