Thoughts on Persistence

Thoughts on Persistence
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Saturday, November 5, 2016

We Trust God - Can God Trust Us

(This post was born at a recent breakfast meeting with Dr. David LeShana, Becky (his wife) and Carolyn and I.  Thanks Dr. D for the word of enlightenment.  His words were “It is not a matter or ‘do I trust God, but does God trust me”.)


In religious circles we talk a lot about trusting God, and this is well and good, for we should trust God.  It is called ‘faith’ and that is a good thing. 

But what about this …

Can God trust us?

In  Matthew 25:14-30 we read of the parable of the talents.  I think it is a lesson in how we use the gifts we are given and the return on investment we can offer back.

One was given five talents and turned it into ten.

The second was given 2 talents and turned it into four.

The third man was given 1 talent.  He didn’t even invest the money.  Instead, when the land owner asked for an accounting he made excuses for why he did nothing.  He was the do-nothing employee.  It is interested that the land owner took from him the one talent and gave it to the man who had started with ten talents.

It is a story of trust – God giving us gifts, opportunities and skills and then expecting us to take those small beginnings of a gift and turn them into something masterful, wonderful, and larger than we ever dreamed.

God wants to trust us, and He gives us opportunities to enlarge our territory, our skills, our opportunities. 

Can we be trusted?  Can we rise to the occasion and grow, become better, gain some confidence, and make something more out of the small portion with which we began? 

That is the crucial element here.

I am a big believer in what we Christians call our “spiritual gifts.”

They are tendencies, gifts, leanings, sparks of interest that God has already put within each of us for use in kingdom building. 

The more accepted spiritual gifts are:
Prophecy/word of wisdom
Teaching
Encouragement/Exhortation
Interpretation of Tongues/language
Leadership/Administration
Discernment
Exhortation
Faith
Healing
Pastor/Shepherd
Serving/Ministering
Wisdom

Most biblical scholars believe every believer has at least one spiritual gift and it is supposed to be used in building the kingdom of God both inside the structure of the church and in the sphere of influence of the possessor.

My spiritual gifts, as I have identified them are:
Encouragement
Teaching
Administration
Discernment

The idea here is to take whatever gift you feel is yours and then set about developing that gift.  That is a fine example of allowing God to work through you.  Deeper than that, it is demonstrating to God that you can be trusted with the gifts He has given and that you can take on more and more responsibility as it comes your way and as you grow in experience and wisdom.

Let’s take the gift of encouragement for example.
I’ve used this gift in …
Singing
Leading a worship service
Speaking
Writing, both for publication and personal notes as someone comes to my mind

There are other examples but that is enough for now.

An important point to remember is this … our spiritual gifts are not meant to be used as weapons to lord over someone, or to beat someone into submission.  Rather the word I seek is edification – enlightenment, education, instruction. 

We spread light so that others can see the way.  I like that.  And we instruct and guide.  We don’t lord it over others – we gently nudge, we show the way.

God is looking for a few good men and women in whom He can trust to carry the sound of good news to a world desperately in need of hope. And sometimes we use words. 

Can I be trusted?
Can you?


Internet Church
Offering Words of
Hope Encouragement
Inspiration
One Word at a Time


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