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Topic: Resolutions (12/29/03)
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TITLE: Resolved to Honor By Holly Payne 01/02/04 |
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In Matthew 25, three men receive money to keep for their master during his absence. Most believers are already familiar with the passage, but what many do not realize is that while it applies all year long, it is especially powerful at this time of year. The first man, who received five talents, “put the money to work and gained five more” (Matt. 25: 16). The second man received two talents, and also put the money to work and gained two. The third man, obviously a cautious and possibly a fearful man, ran away with the one talent he received, dug a hole and buried the money. When the owner returned to retrieve his money, the first and second men were able to stand before him and show that not only had they safely used his money, but also they had each doubled their portions. The third man had not lost anything, and was able to return the master’s money in full, but had nothing new to add. The first two men were rewarded, but the third man was chastised for lacking the ambition and forethought to invest.
What does this have to do with New Year’s resolutions? We each have some kind of gifts God has given us. They may not be money, but they are the things He expects us to use wisely. This means that in order for our gifts to be acceptable and pleasing to our Father, we cannot ignore them. We cannot acknowledge that we have them but hide them in holes we dig. Things hidden in holes in the earth usually rot. They get dark, and musty, and stinky. Then they decay, and finally disappear with no trace they ever existed, unless a mocking pile of death remains to remind us. And as children God created from the dust of the earth, if we hide our own talents in the holes we dig in our souls, they will rot. Gross, isn’t it? Not a Happy New Year kind of thought, but the point is that the gifts God gives us to use to glorify Him will face that same unfortunate process if they are hidden and unused, and on top of that problem, it says something of our character. It tells God that we are too cautious and fearful.
The best resolutions we can make are those that utilize the gifts He has given. If it means losing that twenty pounds that has been on the resolution list for the last few years, fine. But let it be so that the body is made healthy and honored as a temple of the Holy Spirit. If it means being nicer to people, let it be so that people can see Christ when they see the human they recognize. If it is to get organized, let it be so that God can have more valuable time with the child He loves desperately. In other words, whatever the resolution, the point is to make sure that it involves putting God at the top of the list as we make the most of everything He has given. If we expend the effort to use these gifts, He will double the harvest. Sometimes, it may be money, as many people seem to think, but often it is something else entirely. At the very bottom line, when we wisely employ ALL He entrusts to us, we are more pleasing to the Father.
My prayer this year is that your resolutions are ones that are attainable based on the talents God has given you, and that you receive that double blessing He will be faithful to give when He rewards you and says, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”