Faithful in Little . . .

Isn't that beautiful! We are so blessed by the rain and the ponds that are finally full and holding water. We have gotten over 30" this winter so far, which is huge for us! I thank God for the rain we have so badly needed, and, like a friend recently wrote, ask Him to fill us all with His living water—to pour out His Spirit like He has the rain!

Some news, and a thought to share.

News: There is a bill coming up in Texas that would abolish abortion. I'd encourage you to be in prayer about it, and to share it with any family or friends who live in Texas who could spread the word and support it. I am waiting to write more about it until I get an answer back from the author regarding one concern I had in the wording of part of it, but the fact that a legislator is willing to sponsor a bill that doesn't simply legislate degrees of abortion (hence, still grant abortion some legitimacy) but actually abolishes abortion is huge. Please be praying and spreading the word. It is HB 948 if you want to look it up. It might be the springboard that leads to a challenge and overthrow of the unconstitutional Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision.

The following are some thoughts on something I read this morning in the Bible:

On Sunday mornings I have been teaching a series on how we got to where we are in our faith—our inherited history, how the Bible came to be, etc. We are looking at how we arrived to stand on the faith statements and doctrines we stand on, etc. I have been recently looking at David and how God said David was a man after His own heart, willing to do all that God willed. We've been looking at what in David's heart made God say that about him. Some of the cores are his obedience and his faith and his "high view" of God that trusts God and God's sovereignty and leaves in God's hands the things that are Gods. We have been blessed to see how God looks to a man's heart and not the outward appearances.

In Men's Group we've been talking about the talents, about being faithful in what God has trusted us with, about what our lives reflect about our true priorities and the weight we place on things earthly versus things eternal, etc. We only get one crack at this life. Are we numbering our days and living it fully for Him, investing in His Kingdom and modeling to our wives and children and co-workers and neighbors His values and priorities?

This morning in my Bible reading I came across Jesus' words in Luke 16:10 where He says, "One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much." This really struck me, and it struck me that it again (like with David, and like with how the Master only held the servants accountable for the heart of what they did with the talents He gave them) shows that God is looking past our outward appearances and deeds into the very core of our hearts.

It is similar to Jesus equating being angry at someone to murder, and looking in lust to adultery. He is saying the "rule" is really about the heart—and though you follow the "letter of the Law" you are still guilty of the "spirit of the Law" (the real intent of the Law) in your heart, where it matters. If you've been faithful in a little your heart says you are faithful. It isn't about the amount, but the faithfulness. If your heart is faithful to do the right in just the small things, it will be also in the big. Likewise, if your heart is to be unfaithful and not do the right in the little things, then it will be in the larger as well, because the unfaithfulness in the little is really reflecting your heart, which steers all.

Last night at Youth Group I shared with the youth how at West Point they'd say that your true character is revealed not in what you do when people are watching, but what you do when nobody is watching—when nobody will be praising you, or correcting you, or making you. When nobody is watching, when you are totally free to do just what you want, then your heart will be revealed. Are you faithful in the little? That heart will be faithful in the lot.

Things that are big to us are not to God. He spreads the stars our and puts them all in place. We tend to rank "things" and "sins," etc. God looks past all the "works" and into the heart. They say that the same sun that melts wax hardens clay. The same heart that is faithful in little (and when nobody is watching) is the same heart that is faithful in lot. And the same heart that is not faithful in the little (and when nobody is watching) will not be faithful in the lot.

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalms 139:23-24)

Encouraged by a Talent

Last night at Men's Group I shared a little about Jesus' parable of the talents in Matthew 25. I find in that popular passage some fresh encouragement, and a warning. I don't want to repeat the whole parable here, but I'll give a quick summary:

It comes after a passage about being watchful and prepared for the return of Jesus (the parable of the virgins) and before a parable about the future judgment (separation of the sheep and goats). Sandwiched between these two parables about watching for the end, and what will then happen in the end, comes the parable of the talents about how to live in the days while we are waiting and watching—how to live in the present aspect of the Kingdom of God.

In a nutshell a master leaves and entrusts HIS resources to his servants. He gives a number of talents (a talent was about 20 years wages for a laborer) to each, proportional to their individual ability. He then returns at some time later and settled accounts with them. To the ones who invested HIS resources wisely they were rewarded with praise and more to invest, and invited into the joy of the master. To the one who hid the talent and did nothing with it, he was rebuked, his talent given to one who had more, and he was cast out. I find in this parable tremendous encouragement, and warning. The warning first.

I believe that in America most Christians are probably the ones given the most talents. We are wealthy beyond measure by the standards of most of the world (even most "poor" among us). We have freedom to share the Gospel openly, and we have unlimited access to Bibles, teaching, resources, fellowship, etc. He has given us His name, His authority, His presence. God has trusted us with HIS resources—all we have is His and from Him—and He has made it clear His heart is for the lost, hurting, defenseless, etc. He has made it clear His heart is fixed on things eternal and not temporal. I wonder, what will Jesus say when He returns and evaluates what I have done with the "talents" He trusted to me? Am I numbering my days, using my time wisely, using the opportunities given, being His body, expanding His kingdom? As a whole, is the church in America wisely using her "talents"? Does she invest in eternity, model non-worldly priorities, contend for the abolition of abortion, reach out to the poor and needy and rejected?

On the other hand, this parable is, to me, tremendously encouraging. The master never expected more from his servants then their ability. He didn't point to the one who got and invested and made five more talents and said to the others, "How come you didn't make as much as him?" Rather, he judged and held accountable for each one only what he'd seen in them regarding their ability, and what he'd given them. He equally praised the one he gave two talents to who made two more. And in both cases, seeing them faithful with what he'd given them, he gave them more. What might we do if God saw us faithful and gave us more? If He poured out His Holy Spirit in greater measure? If He performed more miracles? If He brought us more lost into our sphere of influence? If He trusted us with more of His money?

It is easy to think the master was harsh in the way he treated the one who he only gave one talent to who did nothing with it. It is easy to say, "But he knew he didn't have ability." But that isn't true. Even one talent is worth (if a laborer today makes, say, $30,000–$40,000 per year) somewhere around $600,000 to $800,000 in today's terms! I doubt we'd be happy if we entrusted that amount to someone to who worked for us to invest and they produced nothing with it! All the master asked was that the man was faithful with the talent he had.

The widow who only gave a couple pennies, but whom Jesus praised above those who gave much more, is another example of God's heart in this. In a worldly sense (and we tend to look at those to our left and right a lot to compare ourselves) she gave less then the others, but Jesus only looked at what she had to work with and seeing that, He said she gave more. God knows our ability, He knows our situation, He knows our resources. He isn't asking us to do more than we are able to do. He is asking us to trust Him, to have His heart and mind, to invest eternally, and to be faithful in what we do have. And that, I believe, is really encouraging.

To close with a story I love, and that I think you will too, and that will make you smile. A dear friend of mine is a pastor and he had to go to one of those denominational meetings he hates. He was at a table, fed up with some megachurch pastor who was boasting in his numbers (I think it was 4,000 but I'm not sure). At the table was a pastor from Alaska who only had 40 and who was feeling bad. My friend finally had enough and turned to the Alaska pastor and asked how many people there were in his village. The answer was 100. He then turned to the megachurch guy and I think he had something like 400,000 in his town. My friend basically said, "So, this guy has 40% of his town going to his church that he has reached and is teaching. And you only have 1% of your town. What's your problem?" I am paraphrasing, and the numbers probably aren't quite right, but the point is sound and I believe is true. God doesn't ask the pastor of a village of 100 to do what a pastor in a town of 400,000 does. He just asks him, and us, to be faithful with what he has.

A Tale of a Race . . .

Three men find out about a marathon they can enter, and all three feel they should enter it. Two men are very well off, very physically fit, and have tremendous resources at their disposal. The third is crippled and poor.

The first two men use their gym membership to the fullest. They train daily, they keep charts of their progress, they buy organic food and eat very healthy, etc. The third, the man crippled and poor, trains as best as he can within his limitations, and eats as best as he can within his financial boundaries.

On race day they all line up amidst a multitude of other people entering the race and spectators. The starting gun goes off.

The first of the two men with everything on their side runs with all he has. He focuses on the finish line and leaves nothing on the course. He pours it all out and crosses the finish line exhausted, having used every muscle and benefit of training and healthy cell in his body to do so, and having let no spectators or tiredness deter him from his focus. He collapses to the ground and from the ground he looks up and sees his time. It is a new record!

The second of the two men with everything on their side jogs along comfortably. He flexes his muscles to the crowd now and then and beams at their oohhs and aahhs. He is so physically fit and has been able to treat his body so well, that he has no problem finishing the race at a relaxed jog, in the middle of the pack, not really having pushed himself and still having a lot in the tank.

The third man—the one crippled and without a lot of resources to draw on—limps along. The bulk of the crowd leaves him far behind. But he pushes with all he has and gives it everything. He, too, leaves nothing behind, though his body is weak with out the nutrients it should have. He strains his body, he endures the pain, he keeps his mind and heart focused on the finish line. He finally crosses the line and he too collapses. He is near the back of the pack, and his time is no record, but he knows he held nothing back and left nothing behind.

Of these three men, which one or ones do you think crossed the finish line with joy, knowing he'd run the best race he could with what he was given?

Of these three men, which one or ones do you think had the sponsor of the race and those waiting at the finish line say, "Well done, you ran the race, you finished the course, you poured it all out, we are proud of you"?