It Matters

At one time or another, we have all asked ourselves, “How does my life matter?” Time is so fleeting, and this earth is only temporary. But knowledge of that fact usually causes us to hold on tighter to our worldly treasures, rather than look up to the treasures we are storing in heaven. During our lunch break the other day, Ashley and I were sitting on the porch, talking about our expectations for heaven. We talked about our mansions and how we think God would design them based on our personal preferences. It was during this conversation that a random thought struck me, “What will we be doing in Heaven??” All our time on earth is already spent in ministry and trying to share the gospel…there will be no need for that in heaven. What will daily life even look like past those Pearly Gates? I can’t wait to get there someday and experience what it is like to have the joy unspeakable and our lives to be full of glory! At the same time, the reality that Jesus is preparing mansions for us as we speak is so sobering. It reminds me that the work Jesus did on the cross matters, and how I live my life here and now matters.

What I have observed and experienced myself is that too often, we forget that we are here for a purpose and that what we decide to do in this life will have an eternal impact.
I have talked with many young people who struggle to capture the Kingdom vision of eternity. When surrounded by the glitter and glamour of this world, it can be hard to keep our eyes fixed above. Now, making plans for the future and working towards those goals is great! Having fun hobbies, exploring new places and investing in friendships are all good things…but they are not eternal things.
Someday, each of us will stand before God and give an account on what we have done. When I read 2 Corinthians 5:10, it scares me: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”
We are given only one life here in which we get to make our own choices and what we decide to do with that time will be judged. Are we living a life that our Father would be proud of? Are we investing wisely with what He has given us?
I recently was reading the story about the talents from the Gospel of Matthew. When I got to the part where the master gave one of his servants two talents, who then took that and multiplied it, the master praised him, saying, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant…” My favorite part about this story is that the servants were not all given the same amount. What they did do, however, was take whatever amount they had been given and increase it! It reminds me that although we only have one life here, we have the chance to multiply the number in Heaven!
What grieves my heart is that all too often, we tend to be the third servant—the one that the master only gave one talent to. Instead of that servant having faith that he, too, could multiply the master’s talent, he took it and buried it. He had the same opportunity as the other servants, but he chose to keep it hidden and let it go to waste. They were not told when the master would be returning. He could have had a lifetime to take that one talent and multiply it, but he chose to let his fear hinder him. I don’t want you to feel sorry for this guy, thinking that he wasn’t given as much, so he had “more to lose.”
I say that because the second half of Matthew 25:15 says, “…to every man according to his several ability…” That “several ability” means each person’s unique, individual capacity. Consider that the master personally knew each of his servants and knew exactly what they could handle, so He gave them their talents accordingly. God doesn’t give you more than you can handle, He gives you what you can handle and asks that you step out in faith. When the servant chose to bury his talent, he wasn’t thinking of the master, he was thinking of himself.

Now, how does knowing this affect my life?

When I was an older teen and into my early 20s, I would often judge my own life by looking at the lives of other believers. I would see grand movements in their lives and think, “Surely God wouldn’t be able to use me like that, I am too quiet and not charismatic enough.” I realized I was becoming the servant with one talent. When it finally clicked that God has plans for each of us, individually, and it was my responsibility to take that talent and live my life chasing after God, I knew He would give the increase. I began examining my own walk with the Lord. Not my family’s ministry but my very own. What did I have to offer to the Lord? What was my responsibility as His child?
My next step was to seek answers in the Bible. I love the fact that when you take time to sit and seek the Lord, He is already there!
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6).
Once I started to become diligent in quieting my thoughts and letting the Words of God into my mind, I saw God’s heart. It would be great if I could tell you that all of a sudden, I had this step-by-step blueprint on what I was supposed to do; but that takes the faith out of life. And that is exactly what God desires from us—our faith in Him. He wants to lead you and be with you through every step. Psalm 25:4 says, “Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.” I started to make small changes in my life and decided to guard my heart from things that would draw me away from the life of ministry that I had begun to live. They weren’t things that were blatantly sinful; it was simple decisions, like choosing not to allow certain people too close because their lifestyle didn’t align with what I wanted. I also made some more practical decisions for ministry, like volunteering to teach Sunday School. That was difficult for me because I had to study in a way that tested what I thought I “knew” about the Bible. I learned how to make the Bible fun and exciting for young kids and show them that having God in their life matters. It was there I began to see that once you take a step, God is there to give the increase! Being willing to teach Sunday School led me to the place where I would eventually teach small group studies when I lived in Costa Rica. That led to me stepping out a little more and teaching a women’s jail ministry. Then I was able to teach break-out groups at a Christian family camp. All of these ministries took place over the span of many years. If you had asked me on my first day as a Sunday School teacher, if I could ever see myself standing in front of a crowd teaching a class, I would have laughed and said, “No way!” —But God. Because I was willing back then to be stretched a little here and a little there, God took that and has given me a life of ministry that I never would have thought possible.
Over the span of many years, He has given me the strength to take on things that push me way past what I thought I could handle; not because of my own doing, but because I believe what I read in Romans 8:18: “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Those “sufferings” are a tiny price to pay compared to letting an opportunity pass by of sharing the Gospel with someone who is bound for eternal damnation. It is not easy to extend grace when I myself have no more to give. I want you to know, I have failed and I have failed many times. But I will not let that keep me down. I refuse to let my talent be buried so that the Master has to say, “thou wicked and slothful servant.”
I may not be able to see the full outcome of the sacrifices I have made until I get to heaven…and that is really hard. It is so challenging to live for the next world while still being in this one. But I can’t lose sight of what I know: my Master is coming back someday, and He is bringing His reward with Him. On that day, I want to make sure that when I face Him, it is with the knowledge that I have been a faithful steward of the talents and grace He has extended to me.

My life is a vapor, a tiny blip in history. But I know with all my heart that it matters if I chose to live for Jesus. I don’t want the Master to take my talent and give it to someone else. I want to be the one He can trust with increasing those talents.
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).