Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. (Matthew 25:25)
More often than not, our fears are based on false expectations. That’s definitely true of this unfaithful servant. Notice his words to the master: “I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter.” Somehow, he got the idea that his master was a hard-hearted man who expected him to magically produce vast amounts of wealth from his one talent. So instead of taking a chance, he did nothing.
Unfortunately, this fellow got it all wrong. If his master were that exacting, he wouldn’t have been satisfied with the gains of the other two. But instead, he told them, “Because you have been faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities.” He didn’t add up their returns; he just wanted to know if they had put his wealth to good use. He wanted to know if he could trust them because he had bigger things in mind for them.
That’s the way it is with our relationship to God. While he expects us to bear fruit, he doesn’t play a numbers game. He just wants us to understand the basic principle of spiritual investment: it is only as we give away what he has given to us that we will grow into his likeness. Only then will he give us more of his gifts.
The unfaithful servant feared that he could never please his master, so he didn’t even try. We do something similar when we wait for God to assign us some really important task but then ignore the small ones he gives us every day or when we turn aside from his prompting because we think we’re not good enough. The reality is, God is already delighted with us! If we take our eyes off ourselves and start doing his will, he will multiply our efforts with an abundant harvest. But he cannot use our talents if they are buried in a hole marked “When I’m Ready.”
“Lord, open my eyes to the great gifts you’ve given me and the many opportunities I have to use them. Show me how I can be a vessel of your grace and peace!”
1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Psalm 33:12-13, 18-21
Daily Marriage Tip for August 30, 2014:
(Reader’s Tip) Start and end each day by thanking God for letting this person be in your life. Just a quick smile when they walk in the room tells them you care that they are near you.