Gifted and Talented
And I will make an
everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will
put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me. I
will find joy doing good for them and will faithfully and wholeheartedly
replant them in this land Jer. 32:40-41
It was
Teresa’s birthday. Her parents went all out. They invited friends and family
over. Because it was West Texas, they had a barbecue. They had cake and they
had presents. They had games and they
had music. Everyone had a great time. That is, everyone had a great time except
Teresa. She was sitting at the table with her head down and tears in her eyes.
Her mother went over to ask what in the world was wrong. Was she not happy with
the party? Teresa answered that it was a wonderful party, but that she didn’t
deserve it. When her mother asked her
what she meant, she said that she did not
make her bed 2 days last week and she was last to school one day the
week before and on top of that she had mean thoughts about her brother when he
pulled her hair. She knew she was not supposed to do these things and that was
why she knew she didn’t deserve the party. Her mother hugged her and explained
to her that they did not throw her a party because she was a good girl. They
threw her a party because she was their daughter and they loved her. Then Teresa dried her tears and enjoyed the
party for the gift of love that it was.
Teresa
was smart enough to do that. Are we? God
has offered us not only salvation but an abundant life. If we were wise we
would be like Teresa and bask in that, doing good because we have received it
no so we can earn it. We may refuse the gift of salvation because we don’t
deserve it. We may bargain with God to bless us. “If you help me get this job I
will read my Bible for an hour every day.”
We may also feel that we deserve
the bad things that happen to us. Abuse
victims feel ashamed because they feel they did something to cause the
abuse. A miscarriage might be seen as
punishment for not wanting a child at first. If we receive the blessings we
might go into a frenzy trying to earn them by keeping the rules and doing
enough good. I have been introduced to grace for thirty years and acquainted
with it for twenty, and when I get under stress I can go back to this old
mindset in a heartbeat if I don’t guard my mind. The reality is that God
blesses us because he loves us. He has
even given us talents that we can use for him. We use them because he loves us,
though, not so that he will. Do you think Teresa cleaned her room faithfully
and helped her parents without complaining after that party? She did it out of
love and not guilt or bargaining.
As incredible as it seems, the God
of the universe adores you. Look again at the verses in Jeremiah.
And I will make an everlasting
covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire
in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me. I will find joy
doing good for them and will faithfully and wholeheartedly replant them in this
land.
Zephaniah 3:17
says, The LORD your God is in your
midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he
will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. It might
be easy to think he gives us salvation and then says that is good enough. In
Rom 8:32 he says He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us
all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
I am by no means saying we should not use our
gifts and talents for God. There is no
time that I am happier than when I am singing for God or writing. I have to
keep in mind that it is in response to God’s love and not as a way to earn it. We
are all unique and this may not be your struggle, but I bet it is for someone
you love. Please join God’s love feast
for you and encourage others to do the same.
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