Hey 👋🏾 there BCU Family!
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Currently, it’s summertime and for many of us that means a family vacation. In prep for the trip to the southern part of the country, I brought “Peanut”, aged 7, a baseball cap. While it looked cute, the main purpose was to help protect his little head from the sun from the hot summer sun. During various points of the trip, I found myself asking and reminding this little one about wearing and keeping up with that hat.
Fast forward to today where it’s raining and will be raining pretty hard all day. In an unsuccessful attempt to dodge raindrops, Peanut gets in the car and I ask:
“Where is your hat?”
Peanut: (quietly) “I don’t know”.
Me: “Hmm..do you know where your fidget spinner is?”
Peanut: “Yes!”
Me: “What’s my point of asking you that?”
Peanut: “That I don’t know where the IMPORTANT things are–but I know where the not so important things are.
Now I admit his response was pretty impressive for a second-grader. It also sparked a couple of thoughts.
Many of you all listening and reading may be thinking, “well he’s ONLY seven”. “Kids lose things all the time.” “Boys are like that”. “Just get over it..it’s ONLY a cap. Go buy him another hat, Blen.” And I hear these points loud and clear–no doubt. Let’s look at this from a natural and spiritual perspective.
We all have (well, we all should have) a level of responsibility for certain things. While I would not expect an 18 month old child to drive a car, he can pick up a toy and put it back in the toy box upon request. When my daughter was around little–maybe around 16-18 months or so, when I asked her to get me a diaper to change her, she understood me enough to do just that. It was also a sign that she could start to potty train. And thank God, she was FULLY trained before age two with minimal accidents.
My point here is that many times, (I know there are exceptions), children are capable of much more that we think they are. And as parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles, godparents–whatever your role is in a child’s life, we should be assigning responsibility to our children according to their ability. We also need to teach (and consistently reinforce) the consequences to evading our duties as well. This, in part helps them to grow up as mature, responsible adults– in most cases. So, now that we’ve looked at this naturally, let’s look at this spiritually.
When someone gives us something, asks us to take care of something, gifts us with something that has a benefit, we have a responsibility with the help of the Lord, to take care of that something. Even if it seems insignificant or not super important at the time, it was IMPORTANT enough to the giver to entrust us with it, so it should be just as important to us to keep and take care of it.
This takes me to one of my favorite stories, the parable of the talents from Matthew 25:14-30. It’s real, relatable and encourages me to take care of what God gives–not just material-wise, but even the spiritual gifts and talents as well. I plan to give a synopsis here, but please take some time to read the parable in it’s entirety, BCU Fam—it will bless you!
There was a lord that had servants who had to go away for awhile and called in his servants to give them talents to take care of.
The lord gave one servant five talents, another two talents and another one talent. Note he gave out the talents according to their ABILITY, so the master knew what each one was capable of (verse 15).
After a period of time, the lord returns to see how the servants did with the tasks they were entrusted with. The servant that received the five talents gained five more and the one who received two gained two more, much to the delight of their lord who told them, “well done, thou good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many. Enter into the joy of the Lord.
When it came time for the servant with the one talent to reconcile, here’s what happened:
24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
25And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.
26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.27So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.28Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.30And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Notice, BCU Fam that the servant was called wicked and lazy because he did NOTHING with his talent. Yes, he knew where it was, but because of his inaction, it was a good as lost, because it was TAKEN away–never to be recovered again. And on top of that–he was cast out where there was sorrow, sadness, crying and regret. What a tragic ending to this servant’s story and his life!
I say all that, BCU Fam to say this: We should NEVER casually treat what God has given us to do. Some talents, gifts and opportunities that we are assigned, we may NOT be able to “just go get another one”. We do not always get a second chance. We cannot say, “I was too young” because as our Creator knows exactly what we are capable of—He knows our ability, not age!!! And it is our RESPONSIBILITY with God’s grace and help to do what we can to gain more talents–win souls to the kingdom, excel in the ministry (ushering, praise and worship, cleaning the church, taking care of your family, being a witness on your job, preaching, teaching), what ever God has given! We are to flourish and not to hide or do nothing with our God-given assignment.
I am prayerful this post was a blessing, confirmation and a nudge to dig up your talent(s) and put them to work for our amazing God. I admit that it is easier and more comfortable to side-step our duties now, but inevitably we will have to give an account to God for every thing He’s given us to steward over and I want Him to say, “well done, thou good and faithful servant! You’ve been faithful over a few things and I will make you ruler over many. Enter thou into the joy of the Lord!” That’s something to get excited about, Amen? Amen!
So, what do you want the Lord to say to you? How do you stay focused on your talents? Do you struggle with that at all? Let’s talk more in the comments section below!
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Thank you SO much for stopping by. God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!
Love,
BCU
BCU 