By the Hand

“After a long time the master of those servants returned… ‘See, I have gained…’ ‘See, I have gained…’ ‘I knew you were a hard man…’” Matthew 25:19-24.

A few months ago I went over to my daughter’s home to visit with her and my grandchildren.   When I arrived the front door was locked so I knocked on the door to let her know I was there.  Suddenly, I heard the footsteps of my granddaughter rushing to the door to let her Emmy in…my little Kherington, or Kherbear as we lovingly refer to her.  The door was barely ajar when she grabbed my hand and excitedly rushed me to her upstairs bedroom.  As I was trying to regain my breath she opened her door and said, ‘Look, Emmy!  See….I made my bed up all by myself!’  She was so pleased that what she had accomplished would please me. 

So were the two responses of the stewards who had doubled the worth with what their master had entrusted to them.   Much like Kherbear, they grabbed his hand and couldn’t wait to show him how they had grown what he had given them.  The third steward greeted his master with ego, pride and accusations.  His attitude held no joy, sense of accomplishment or respect for the master who had given him the same opportunities…to use what he was given and grow the worth of the master’s estate.

Our Master has given each of us certain gifts and talents to not only use in the secular world but in the kingdom of God.  To one is given a beautiful voice…to another is given the gift of speech.  He assigns some to teach Sunday School while others He calls to financially support ministries.  He gives the gift of writing to him and He enables her with the gift of nursing.  We have all been given something that furthers the kingdom of God.  Will we use our spiritual gifts with joy and embrace the responsibility with the attitude of Kherington?  Will we complete things for God and then bury it in a hole?  We will receive the things of God with a me-first focus like the third steward or will we grab His hand and joyfully run to show Him?

God delights in us delighting in Him.  I believe that whatever the master had given the first two stewards, they would have been happy because their joy was in pleasing God, not themselves.