March 25, 2012

The bible has exactly what I need right now.... always

I'm always amazed by the bible. Every time I read it I find something in it that I had missed before, that is comforting to me when I needed comforting, or I find something that I should be doing better with in my life. Last year I had read the parable of the talents, Matthew's 25 14-30. I was so moved by this parable I wrote about that parable in my blog. You could read it by clicking this link: The parable of the talents.

Last year this parable moved me because I realized God gave each of us a talent and it was our responsibility to figure out what our talents are and figure out a way to glorify and serve God with those talents. I had realized in this parable that the master (Jesus) rewarded each of the first 2 servants equally even though the 1st servant was able to do twice as much for God as the 2nd servant. What matters isn't how much talent you are given, what counts is what you do with the talent God gave us.

Last year when I read the parable of the talents I realized God gave me a love for triathlon. So I started trying to glorify God as much as I could through my racing, training, and also through this blog.But recently when I read the parable of the talents I realized something entirely different than I did last year. I realized I was far to similar to the third servant who said, 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.'

I've realized I am all too similar to the third servant because I haven't been sharing 'the good news' with my co-workers, with inmates, with my friends, and with my family. I was trying to live as God wanted me to live, by being an example to others, but I wasn't trying to bring others to Christ. The bible teaches that sharing 'the good news' is the most important job a christian will EVER do, and I didn't feel confident in myself or my knowledge to do such important work. I've realized God wants me to go out and try even if I don't feel like I'm capable of fulfilling Gods request. I realized recently that in Exodus 4 Moses told God ...."I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” I realized that even Moses felt overwhelmed, yet with Gods power Moses did amazing things! And eventually I realized I need to trust in God. If He wants me to spread Gods word I should. My responsibility is to try and plant the seed, it's Gods to make it grow. I had never understood what Mark 4:26-29 meant until I decided to spread Gods word and try to bring others to Christ. Mark 4:26-29 reads "....A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.” Now I know it means I need to try to bring others to Christ and share the good word. If the seeds (the good news) I'm spreading take root or not isn't my concern, it's Gods business. How it works when the seed germinates (if the people I shared the good news with turn to Christ) isn't my business, it's Gods. My only concern is to try and share Gods word with everyone I can every opportunity I can. It's not by mistake that I work in a maximum security prison, there are a lot of people, both staff and inmates alike who need to turn to Christ. God placed me there to be an example and to try to bring others to Christ, I'm going to do my best to accomplish that.

Another verse I've found that comforts me when I feel like I'm not capable of doing as well as God deserves is 1 Corinthians 3:6-9 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.

In the last 10 days I've shared the good news with 3 staff and 6 inmates. Each time I do it I get a little better at it and feel a little more confident. I'm so grateful to be trusted with such an amazing job by God. I'm humbled and excited to continue doing it as frequently as I can.

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