“A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for.”
“A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for.”
LEVITICUS 4-6
1The Lord said to Moses: 2“If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the Lord by deceiving a neighbor about something entrusted to them or left in their care or about something stolen, or if they cheat their neighbor, 3or if they find lost property and lie about it, or if they swear falsely about any such sin that people may commit— 4when they sin in any of these ways and realize their guilt, they must return what they have stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to them, or the lost property they found, 5or whatever it was they swore falsely about. They must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day they present their guilt offering.(6:1-5)
MATTHEW 25:1-30
24“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘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. 25So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
26“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? 27Well 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.
28“ ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
1The Lord said to Moses: 2“If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the Lord by deceiving a neighbor about something entrusted to them or left in their care or about something stolen, or if they cheat their neighbor, 3or if they find lost property and lie about it, or if they swear falsely about any such sin that people may commit— 4when they sin in any of these ways and realize their guilt, they must return what they have stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to them, or the lost property they found, 5or whatever it was they swore falsely about. They must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day they present their guilt offering.(6:1-5)
MATTHEW 25:1-30
24“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘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. 25So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
26“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? 27Well 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.
28“ ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
JOURNAL
If there was ever a question about what God wants us to do with our lives...then Jesus answers it in this parable. We are to live and take risks and multiply our gifts and the talents God has given us. We are not to take from others but rather are to multiply what we have. This is through effort and risk and not shrinking back.
Teaching science causes me to come face to face with the miracle of our bodies and this world. The human body itself is far greater and more amazing than any technological advancement we have ever made or I dare say will ever make. Then to consider the time and place in which I live...it really is a sort of paradise...especially if compared with life 100 years ago or really in comparison to 95% of the world. The gifts, privileges and luxuries of my life are too many to even count.
Gratitude is a necessity if I am to live life to the full. Going back to the journal from yesterday. If I live with the reality that this may be all I get in this life...then I am sure to not take it for granted. I am more compelled to maximize each and every moment, to not waste time absorbed in worries or fears. If I focus on the worries and fears then I will inevitably become the servant who buried his talent. He did so because he focused on the outcome rather than just giving and doing his best.
I must have faith that if I give my best and do it in obedience to God...then he will bless it as it should be blessed. God will harvest the results of my obedience. I need not really concern myself over what that should be. This is where I have really gotten all messed up in the past. Too often I have already written the script in my mind as to what the future should look like, or what results I should get. This again is becoming the disobedient servant...simply give my best, turn it loose and let God handle the results.
If there was ever a question about what God wants us to do with our lives...then Jesus answers it in this parable. We are to live and take risks and multiply our gifts and the talents God has given us. We are not to take from others but rather are to multiply what we have. This is through effort and risk and not shrinking back.
Teaching science causes me to come face to face with the miracle of our bodies and this world. The human body itself is far greater and more amazing than any technological advancement we have ever made or I dare say will ever make. Then to consider the time and place in which I live...it really is a sort of paradise...especially if compared with life 100 years ago or really in comparison to 95% of the world. The gifts, privileges and luxuries of my life are too many to even count.
Gratitude is a necessity if I am to live life to the full. Going back to the journal from yesterday. If I live with the reality that this may be all I get in this life...then I am sure to not take it for granted. I am more compelled to maximize each and every moment, to not waste time absorbed in worries or fears. If I focus on the worries and fears then I will inevitably become the servant who buried his talent. He did so because he focused on the outcome rather than just giving and doing his best.
I must have faith that if I give my best and do it in obedience to God...then he will bless it as it should be blessed. God will harvest the results of my obedience. I need not really concern myself over what that should be. This is where I have really gotten all messed up in the past. Too often I have already written the script in my mind as to what the future should look like, or what results I should get. This again is becoming the disobedient servant...simply give my best, turn it loose and let God handle the results.
I must have faith that if I give my best and do it in obedience to God...then he will bless it as it should be blessed. God will harvest the results of my obedience. I need not really concern myself over what that should be. This is where I have really gotten all messed up in the past. Too often I have already written the script in my mind as to what the future should look like, or what results I should get. This again is becoming the disobedient servant...simply give my best, turn it loose and let God handle the results.
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