Faith Over Fear

THIS WEEK’S FOCUSED SCRIPTURE

Matthew 25:21 (ESV) “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’”
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THOUGHTS FROM LAEL‍

One of the most life-transforming principles a disciple of Jesus Christ can live by is that of “stewardship” or faithfulness. Oftentimes, we equate stewardship with finances or being responsible and generous with our money. While the way we manage our money is a huge indicator of the true condition of our hearts, one of the greatest gifts the Lord has entrusted us to steward here on earth is the Gospel!

Take a moment to re-read The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30). What’s interesting to note is that, from the very beginning, the master doesn’t give an equal portion of talents to each servant, rather he distributes them according to each servant’s ability. The master wasn’t disappointed in the servant who buried his talent in the ground because he didn’t produce as many talents as the other two servants. He was disappointed because the servant wasn’t faithful with what had been uniquely entrusted to him. The servant admits he acted out of fear instead of faith.

Reflect for a moment on the “talents” that God has entrusted to you — the specific gifts and resources He has uniquely given you to share and spread the Gospel. Some of us may be entrusted to take the Gospel to remote villages on the other side of the world. Others of us (arguably most of us) have been entrusted to simply take the Gospel across the street to our neighbor. Remember — your Heavenly Father isn’t looking for perfection or performance — He’s simply after a heart of faithfulness! Today, rest in His perfect love that casts out ALL fear that would try to tempt you to “hide” your child-like faith from obediently stewarding the Gospel. Choose faith over fear!