Grateful & Generous Day 5

When I was in high school, we would go on competitive academic trips (UIL, Science Olympiad, etc) where we were given a specific amount of money for each meal. We were each individually busy at different times and they trusted us to go grab food on our own at the different conference centers. I always loved a good competition, so much that I could make one all up on my own. 

While others would go spend all of their money, and some of their own, I would find the cheapest options. At the end of the trip I was always so proud to be able to come home with more money than I left there with. On one particular trip, my teacher asked what we ate that day, and I excitedly shared I had in fact made $50 that day. Rather than being excited for me she just said, “Why wouldn’t you spend the money? That’s why we gave it to you?”

1 Peter 4:10: "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

In Matthew 25:14–30, Jesus tells the story of a master who entrusts bags of gold (talents) to his servants according to their abilities. The servants who use what they were given are praised as "good and faithful servants," while the one who hides his talent out of fear is rebuked 

The day will come when we will go before God, and we will be able to say “This is what you gave me (Time, Talent, Money) and this is what I did with it.”

Will we be showing that we used what he gave us for his glory? Will we show that we were generous with what he gave us? Will we say, even in my exhaustion, I gave my talent and time. Even in financial uncertainty, I trusted you and gave back to you. 
Or will we go before him and say, look what I saved? I didn’t use anything you gave me for what it was intended for.  

'  “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them.   To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,  each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.   The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more.   So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more.   But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.      “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.   The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’      “His 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!’      “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’      “His 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!’      “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.   So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’      “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?   Well 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.      “ ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags.   For 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.   And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’   '

Matthew 25:14-30 NIV

God, Help us to be grateful with the time, talent, and money that you have given us to use for the furthering of your kingdom. Help us to trust you enough that even in our uncertainty of being rejected, or that we will not have enough money, that you will take care of us.