Don't Bury Your Gift—Two2Grow, July 7
Don't Bury Your Gift—Two2Grow, July 7
"So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground." Matthew 25:25a NIV
I was a mama's boy and never liked being away from my family. One summer during middle school, I went to a Boy Scout camp. After just a couple of days, I got one of the leaders to drive me back home because I was so homesick. So when I sensed as a teenager that God was calling me to be a missionary in other countries, I had to make a choice: trust God and step out of my comfort zone.
God has given each of us unique gifts and talents that are meant to bless the world and expand the kingdom of God. Yet one temptation is, like the man in Jesus' parable in today's verse, to hide God's gift instead of putting it to use.
This is particularly true when the gift God has given us requires us to make new career choices, step out of the places where we feel safe, or puts us in situations that feel awkward because of our personalities.
It is easy for an introvert to hide a gift for public speaking or leadership. An extrovert may be especially tempted to neglect intercession in the quiet of their personal prayer closet.
Jesus is coming back, and one day we will be asked what we have done with the gifts He placed in our lives. So I encourage you to take inventory of your life: What gifts has the Lord placed in your life? If you are unsure, make that a prayer point and ask Him to show you.
Once you know, the second question is: Are you putting God's gifts to use? If not, ask the Lord for forgiveness and pray that He will give you the strength to change.
Father, thank You for giving me gifts. I pray that You will reveal them to me and give me the strength and courage to put them into practice—all for Your glory and the expansion of Your kingdom. Amen.
Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD
I was a mama's boy and never liked being away from my family. One summer during middle school, I went to a Boy Scout camp. After just a couple of days, I got one of the leaders to drive me back home because I was so homesick. So when I sensed as a teenager that God was calling me to be a missionary in other countries, I had to make a choice: trust God and step out of my comfort zone.
God has given each of us unique gifts and talents that are meant to bless the world and expand the kingdom of God. Yet one temptation is, like the man in Jesus' parable in today's verse, to hide God's gift instead of putting it to use.
This is particularly true when the gift God has given us requires us to make new career choices, step out of the places where we feel safe, or puts us in situations that feel awkward because of our personalities.
It is easy for an introvert to hide a gift for public speaking or leadership. An extrovert may be especially tempted to neglect intercession in the quiet of their personal prayer closet.
Jesus is coming back, and one day we will be asked what we have done with the gifts He placed in our lives. So I encourage you to take inventory of your life: What gifts has the Lord placed in your life? If you are unsure, make that a prayer point and ask Him to show you.
Once you know, the second question is: Are you putting God's gifts to use? If not, ask the Lord for forgiveness and pray that He will give you the strength to change.
Father, thank You for giving me gifts. I pray that You will reveal them to me and give me the strength and courage to put them into practice—all for Your glory and the expansion of Your kingdom. Amen.
Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD