Buried Treasure

So, what are you hiding? John Crimmins, our pastor at CEPC preached on a familiar bible story Sunday at church. It was one I have heard many times as years have gone but as God often does he opened my heart and mind to see it from a different perspective on this given Sunday. It is the story in Matthew about the bags of gold. A wealthy man who was going on a journey, entrusted his wealth to his servants while he was to be gone. He gave one man five bags of gold, another two bags and the last one only one bag, "each according to his ability".

Matthew 25: 16-18
"The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money."

The master returned and the first returned to the master his five bags with five additional. The second, two bags with two additional bags. Both were praised for their efforts, and claimed "good and faithful servants" by their master and invited to share the happiness with their master. Oh but the third servant explained to the master: 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you."His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

So, the natural question that comes to mind...is what has God entrusted to you and to me? What gifts has he given us and what have we done with those gifts.The buried part is of the third's servant story is what hit me the hardest. For it got me thinking about what it is that God has given to me or entrusted to me that I have buried in my fear, in my insecurities, in my selfish motives, or in my laziness? I won't share with you my personal convictions but I did feel like God had spotlighted my lack of zeal and responsibility for much of what he has given me. I hate being called lazy but truly if I do not actively seek ways to use the precious gifts that God has given me than I am no better than that last servant who had no gain to show for his entrusted gift and the time that he had it in his possession. He basically sat on it ....and did nothing to improve it, nothing to expound upon it, nothing to actively seek interest upon it...he did nothing.

Which brings me to my question once again to you? What has God entrusted to you that you have hidden? The gift of hospitality, encouragement, the gift of teaching, or discernment, those are just some of the spiritual gifts but what about the gifts of talent, are you an artist who isn't painting, a singer who isn't signing, a prayer warrior who isn't praying, a helper who isn't helping, a friend who isn't caring....a leader who isn't leading, you name the categories...and where do you fit within them?

Too many times I do think we are entrusted with personalities and abilites that we hide because we do not know how they will be accepted, or if anyone else would consider what we have as a "talent" or just a freedom of expression. The deal is if God has given it to us then we are to use whatever that gift his for his purposes without restrain due to fear or insecurity or comparison to others. We put so much emphasis on what others think and too many times disregard what really matters and what God thinks. If God has given it to us it is apportioned to our ability. Our natural ability! Seriously consider for a minute God standing before you with a wrapped gift, and saying I have chosen this gift especially for you. For I know you, I know what makes you tick and know the abilities that I have given you. This gift will not only help you to shine through my love but will also be used for my purposes for my kingdom. It just puts a different spin on the gifts that we have. If God has given them to us then they are there for a reason. If we bury them we never get to see how they play out and the investment of love and growth that God makes as he watches us use them for his glory. They may surely be beneficial to others, but we too will be effected as well, for the use of them strengthens us and strengthens our ability to walk along side of God in his purposes.

I sure don't want to get to heaven and have God call me a lazy servant who did not make the most out of what he had entrusted to me while I was here on this earth. So where do I go from here. Well, I ask God to expose my buried treasure of gifts and get with it and dust them off, and put them to His good use.

I think that it is not always an intentional bury but sometimes the sands of time and winds of effort blow over them and soon they become disguised and become buried in a shallow pit. The sand just needs to be brushed away and the gifts resurrected. Resurrected...a good word for this season, don't you think?

Dear Lord, Thank you for the many gifts that you have placed within our hearts and minds and abilities. Help us to not only recognize them but put them to use. Amen
Praise God wherever you are and whatever situation He has allowed you to be in . . . His glory will shine through!