Every week I receive the bulletin for the upcoming Sunday worship service in my email. It contains the announcements and the Scripture reading which our pastor is going to base his sermon on. Last week I decided to read the scripture passage and write a blog entry containing my thoughts on the passage as a way to prepare for Sunday morning worship. I am doing so again this week. I do not know if I will continue doing this or not, but it seems to be an exercise that has some value.

    The message in this passage is that we should strive to use the resources which God has given us, whether they be material resources or natural talents, to further God’s kingdom. If you have material resources seek to increase those material resources while using those material resources to advance God’s kingdom. If God has given you athletic talent work to improve and increase that talent while using it to glorify God. If God has given you other talents, work to improve those talents while using them to glorify God. This parable always scares me because I identify most with the third servant. However, despite the clear message in the parable I struggle because my failure to make the most of my talents is not a fear of losing them, or a fear of having everything I gain by working on them taken from me. No, my problem is that I have struggled my entire life with finding the way to apply those talents in the best way. Sometimes I have been inspired to something where I could use my talents to bring glory to God, but then I fail to do so because I cannot see how to get from where I am in my life to that place where I can use my talents.