Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 15-16; Psalm 32; Matthew 25
Scripture: Matthew 25-14-18
14 "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15 To 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. 16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
Observation: Three servants are given opportunity. Each one determines the course that his opportunity will take. The outcome or result for each servant depends entirely on the choices each of the servants makes. The choices are determined by each individual based primarily on their character. Two servants had good character and made good choices -- one servant had bad character and made poor choices. The wisdom of their choice was directly proportional to the quality of their character. Their success (or lack thereof) was directly proportional to the wisdom of their choices.
Application: Each of us is given opportunities by God. As in the parable, the level of opportunity varies from person to person. While there are various influences which affect our lives for good and bad, the primary factor in determining success or failure is the wisdom of the choices we make. And our character is the thing that will propel the wisdom of our choice.
Bottom line: We have been given the responsibility to conduct our lives in such a way that produces the best results for God. While there are a variety of influences in the molding of character, making good choices in our friends and mentors is often the primary determinant in what our character becomes. Therefore, choosing good and godly companions and mentors is paramount. That choice is more than a mere preference, it can literally be the verdict on the outcome of our life. Choose carefully and choose wisely.
Prayer: Lord, help us to be people with excellence of character who take the opportunities that You bless us with and maximize them. We seek to receive Your blessings and multiply them so we can bless others and build your kingdom. Help us to reflect who You are so we can achieve great results commensurate with Your greatness.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
2 comments:
I have seen people who had wonderful parents who gave them a solid, godly and loving home choose fools for companions and end up becoming fools themselves (in the Biblical definition of "fool"). I have also seen others who had a poor parental example that ended up choosing good friends and mentors that resulted in a very productive and happy life for them. The best results have been achieved by those who had good, godly parenting and combined it with wise choices in friends and mentors. We have no control over the parents we came from but our companions and mentors we do. We must choose them wisely if we want the best and most productive life.
Cynthia, thanks for sharing your insight based on your personal experience. Below is a link that discusses the biblical definition of "fool" that you mentioned. Check it out.
Click On This Link
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