Gospel Reflections #94: It's Not About the Results of our our efforts, it's the Joy of growing

Matthew 25:14 The Kingdom of Heaven is also likened to this: "When a man went on a trip, he called us and entrusted us with his possessions."

This saying is part of the third parable that explains what Jesus entrusted to His disciples between His ascension and second coming. The master entrusted Jesus' property to his servants; the third servant hid it in the earth and guarded it so that it would not diminish. The other two were making a profit with the property entrusted to them.

What was wrong with the third servant? He was afraid to take risks for his master. Fearing failure, he simply protected the property entrusted to him. The third servant was not a failure, he just simply did what he understood he was told to do.

Our God is always with us, helping and guiding us when we use what He has given us for someone else. And God turns any failure or inadequacy of ours into profit. It is not our effort or credit, but God's work. God uses us, sinners, imperfect and inadequate, and entrusts us with His property.

I believe that God does not want us to focus our efforts on producing good results, but to see what He has done for us and to communicate that.

Our God is a God who is patient, merciful, accepting, and with us. The more we know Him, the more our eyes are opened to see that He is a God of love, not fear. Then you can give love to others in His love and peace!

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This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, a devoted student of the Bible who passionately embraces the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on the Gospels as a way to reach out to others and spread the message of Jesus. We're sharing her message here so that you too can experience the joy that comes from the Gospel that has filled her heart.