Then he who had received one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man… and I was afraid, and hid your talent in the ground.’ His lord answered, ‘You wicked and lazy servant… you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. Excuses won’t cut it with God. He expects growth. We can all put more effort into developing our talents to their full potential. God expects us to produce with the talents He has given us. In II Corinthians 5:10 we are all re - minded of how seriously God takes the matter: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, ac - cording to what he has done, whether good or bad. Whether good or bad, we all must make sure we’re making the best use of our time, our talents and abil- ities that God has given us to serve Him and to serve His people. Focus on the Goal Constant self-examination helps us stop making excuses. Instead of justifying weaknesses, we work to overcome them. The Apostle Peter was inspired to record in II Peter 3:17–18: Continued on page 21
not act.” Excuses keep us stationary, blind us to our character flaws, and prevent growth. In a sense we give ourselves permission to stay the same. Stop the “Yeah, Buts” Even when we admit a problem, we tend to find a way to justify our ac - tions. Most often it’s with a “yeah, but”: “Yeah, I lost my temper, but it’s my background.” “Yeah, I didn’t finish my work, but the TV distracted me.” “I’d be nicer to my spouse, but they should be nicer first.” I tell my kids: “People don’t want to see your ‘buts.’ Keep them in your pants. No buts!” Jesus illustrated this in the parable of the Great Supper in Luke 14:18–20: But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go see it…’ An - other said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them…’ Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. The excuses—“Yeah, I would, but…”—kept them from the feast, symbol- izing God’s invitation to His Kingdom. How often do those whom God has called and chosen today make the same type of excuses versus simple obedience? The parable of the talents teaches the same lesson in Matthew 25:24–26:
15
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online