Steward Well
Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men, because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving
Colossians 3:23-24
I have read the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) many times, and I often left feeling like a failure only because I always identified myself with the servant who hid his one talent and felt that I did not handle well what God blessed me with. Now let me be clear, with this parable, Jesus’ goal was not to condemn his disciples or make them feel like failures. It was to teach them about stewardship.
The Lord has blessed me with many gifts and the ability to grasp a clear understanding of how different things work without much effort. Because of that I often take on more tasks or projects, most of which I should have said no to, only to overextend myself and drop the ball. Once I hit that point, frustration kicks in and all joy goes out the window, rendering me ineffective.
What I have learned is that we must seek the Lord for directions and guidance to steward well what He has given us. In our own strength and wisdom, we will come up short or fail all together. I have heard many say that if you want to know how something works, read the manual, or speak with the manufacturer. We must do the same with our gifts and talents.
We do not exist only to exist. We have a great purpose, and He has given us gifts and talents to help us fulfill and live out that purpose, and we will not know what it is and how to steward it well without consulting God.
What has the Lord given you? Are you seeking Him on how to use it? Are you using it to glorify Him?
Let us not be like the servant who hid his talent. Whether or not you have 1 or 10 (gifts, talents, dollars, minutes, days, etc.). Seek the Father for help so that you may steward it well. When we steward what God has given us well, the return will be great, many lives touched; and many souls won for the King of God.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I know that all good and perfect gifts come from you. I will admit that at times, I have not steward well what you have given me, and I want to do better. Often, I have looked for validation from others and sought-after opportunities to affirm my worth and then gave up on what you have given me because the outcomes were not what I expected. Forgive me for the error of my ways. Lord, I desire to steward well what you have given me. Lord, the grace and guidance I need so that I may glorify and point others to you. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen!
