Choices

Matthew 25: 14 "For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.”

Everyone is responsible. Everyone has a purpose. Everyone is involved. Everyone is given something. The issue at hand is what are you going to do with what has been given to you?

I think that more times than not this passage of scripture has been used to guilt people into action. Pastors always point to the last servant who did nothing with his talent with the admonition that you and I don’t want to end up in the same place as he did. Truly this is part of the teaching from Jesus on this subject. Wasted talent is sad to see. Wasted opportunities are never regained; wrong choices are filled with consequences that plague us for a long time. But on the other hand, very little is made mention of the faithful servant.

I have often wondered what made him special? What set him apart from the others? The truth is this. The only thing that made him different was that he made a choice to be faithful. He did not have more ability or talent in proportion to the others; what he had was the right choice. Because he chose rightly, he was blessed. Right choices lead to fulfilled dreams.

I doubt that you and I are any different from the characters in this teaching. Each of us has ability unique into ourselves. That’s the way God made us. We are gifted in certain ways to fulfill tasks that are suited to the call of God in our lives. I don’t think that I am a car mechanic; I have tried and not been too useful. Yes, I can change oil and spark plugs…they still use spark plugs? But, I don’t do major repair. I make the right choice. I trust those who have the ability to do the work well.

This Christ journey that we have been called to walk is filled with opportunities to use the abilities that have been entrusted to us. The only thing that matters now is the choice we will make. I read a good book a few years ago with this title, “You Can Get Better or Bitter.” The author was stressing the power of choice. I think that is true in our lives more than we want to admit. The power of choice is ours. Sometimes choice is for good; sometimes it is for worse.

So what do we do with this choice? I would direct your thinking to the choice of the first servant. It says that he went at once and used his talent--not because he was special but because he decided to go. The choice was his to make; the choice is yours to make.

Choose well.

Blessings, Rip