It is now after Christmas and some people have not felt the joy of what the reason of the season was. Statistics proof that the month of December is one of the hardest months for people. Many battle depression, anxiety, fear, addictions, self-doubt or hopelessness.
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I have another excerpt from the book, “Signs of Hope: Ways to survive in an Unfriendly World.” This chapter is on how prayer can see us through the storms and trials we face each day. This book reaches out to those who suffer from the afflictions mentioned above.
Life Is Short; Pray Hard
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that send out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.
Jeremiah 17:7–8
It seems so easy to become complacent in our lives—to just do the daily routine, going through the motions of a life. It’s so much easier that way: Go to work every morning; come home every evening; watch a little TV; go to bed.
There’s no pressure there. Making a living and providing for our family is all that matters. It’s a comfortable feeling—right?
Surveys say that thinking is not right. Many people are unhappy with their jobs. I’ve been there. Have you? Are you disappointed about what you’ve accomplished in life? Feel depressed and dejected because you aren’t getting anywhere?
All of us have had dreams, but most of us think we’ll never accomplish them. It’s only dreaming after all. It’s too risky to change jobs to pursue a dream. There isn’t time to build that new house—it’s called a “dream” house for a reason. You really don’t think you have the talent to write that book you’ve been thinking about. You’ve always wanted to go to the mission field, but you’d have to give up too much.
Speaking of talents, Jesus told a parable about talents. Although we think of talents as things we do well, a talent in the time of Jesus was a huge amount of money. One talent was worth about a year’s wages back then. A year’s wages was a tremendous amount to the people, because of the hard times they were going through.
I will let Jesus tell the parable and see if we can see the parallels between the money kind of talent Jesus referred to and the abilities God has given us. It is from Matthew, chapter 25:
14Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. “Master,” he said, “you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.”
21His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”
22The man with the two talents also came. “Master,” he said, “you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.”
23His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”
24Then the man who had received the one talent 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 talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.”
26His 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 “Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
In case you missed it, Jesus is telling you to get off the back burner. Get up from that rocking chair. Take the first step. Stop being a couch potato. Serve God by using your talents now, not down the road that may lead to a dead end.
God doesn’t have certain molds He uses to create people. He doesn’t say, “Well, I guess I’ll make some accountants today. There seems to be a shortage.” He doesn’t make mass copies of carpenters, real estate salesmen, or home decorators. He creates each of us—one at a time—with our own talents.
Three questions that are often asked:
- How do I know what my talents are?
- When will God let me know what He wants me to do?
- Am I really qualified to serve God in the way He wants me to?
Let’s examine each of these questions:
- How do I know what my talents are?
What are the things you enjoy doing? What do you do well? Your answers give you a hint of where your talents lie. You know that you have a talent for working with kids—because you enjoy doing it. Or you might enjoy for helping the elderly. You know you can be persuasive. You know you love to help those recuperating from an illness. You know you want to open that florist shop. You have kept a journal or diary for years. Expand on it.
Why are you waiting? You have the greatest CEO in the universe to guide you through the process. God is there.
- When will God let me know what He wants me to do?
He probably already has. You just didn’t think you could do it. God is planting ideas in our minds all the time. Sometimes we choose to ignore them; often, we feel like we just can’t do what He asks. Life is short—only a blink of the eye from God’s perspective. Through prayer and following God’s lead, each of us can live a fulfilling life.
3. Am I really qualified to serve God in the way He wants me to?
I can answer that from experience. When God let me know He wanted me to write this book, I thought, Boy, God, do You have the wrong number! God then let me know that not only did He have the right number, He also wanted me to get to the computer and get started!
Pray for guidance from God as to what He may want you to do. Trust me—nine years ago, I never thought I would be an author. Far from it. I was floundering and searching for meaning—just like you may be. I felt lost and defeated—just like you. God then woke me up and directed me to write the words I am writing now. I hope you pray hard and find out what mission God has for you to do. If we do not use our talents the way God intended, then we are failing our calling by God. Just do it!
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Romans 12:12
Further Adventures
I have wasted so many years passing up open doors God provided for me. At one time I considered opening a group home for kids who were having trouble coping in life. It would have had its own school, a staff of counselors to help them, and guidance to help them choose their future. I kept dreaming about it, and even did a little researching. I found a man who would support such a venture. I was all set. What happened? I felt I would fail, because I didn’t have enough fortitude to stick with it. I let it go. I think back on that many times, and wonder what would have happened. It is gone now because I now know what God wants me to do the rest of my life. Well, today anyway.
Don’t let this happen to you. If you think God is whispering in your ear, clean out the wax and listen closely. He knows your talents. He knows ahead of time if you will make it or not. If He wants you to something you can be assured He will be there to help you accomplish it.
Something to Ponder
Isn’t it funny that as we get older the time seems to go faster?