Spiritual Investments

I've been camped out in a passage of scripture over the past week.  Matthew 25 and Jesus' parable about the talents.  The man who owns property goes on a trip and entrusts his property to his servants in the form of money.  He gave his three servants different amounts based upon their ability.  The first two servants when he returned had doubled the money.  The third servant was afraid and thought he would play it safe, dug a hole and buried the money.  The man came back from his long journey to be delighted about what the first two servants did, taking risk and re-investing his money so that it would produce more.  He was furious with the third slave telling him he could have at the very least put the money in the bank so it could have earned interest with no risk, instead of out of fear burying it in the ground.  So many things Jesus wanted to push into the hearts listening and into mine in the past few days.

He has entrusted His property to us; His Spirit, His Gospel, His gifts,His kingdom, His investments.  His investments in our lives come in many different sums.  As I was thinking through my life I easily listed the times and places that He taught me or invested something in me through the many people He has brought through my life, churches that we have been apart of past and present, and the teaching of biblical truth from men and women who have walked many years with Him.

I realized that it just isn't the great or victorious moments that constitute spiritual investment, but it has also been the trials that have been His investments.  The times of grief and loss, the moments of crossroads, and the five years of wilderness.  In as much as each caused me to cling to Him, know Him more, and make Him known more, it is His investment. Each grew and formed and produced more of Him.

Playing it safe out of fear is not an option.

Recognize Who's you are....bondservant of the Lord

Recognize what you've been entrusted with....
     natural abilities + supernatural gifting + spiritual investments = kingdom multiplied

Recognize the time you've been given....
     we are in the in-between, He is returning from His long journey, our one responsibility is to be doing something with what we have been entrusted with.

The investment is directed to everything kingdom; gospel, salvation, discipleship, church planting, growing the next generation, using our resources accordingly, living faithful,  and living holy.

Faithful is He who calls you, who will also do it.  1 Thessalonians 5:24 (that's a good word)

Thinking 2017 will be a year of investment and probably some risk........

Still Learning,
Kim

Noodles On the Floor and Dust in Cracks

Years ago we traveled to visit friends.  While staying in their home I would rise early put on the coffee and sit for a few minutes of quiet before anyone else would get up. One such morning I had my bible on my lap and coffee tightly held in hand (my favorite posture, pajamas still on of course!) when I dropped my pen.  Getting out of the comfy chair to search for my pen under the chair, I discovered something, spaghetti noodles! Now my friend was a great housekeeper and I'm sure she had done everything that a hostess does before guest come for a visit.  But there they were, hard, indicating they had been there for awhile, and stuck to the floor. They were cemented like a statue erected to stand the test of time, a monument to a busy wife and mom!  As quietly as I could I moved the chair, got hot water, and began the process of scraping, scrubbing, and prying those noodles off of the floor.  I never told my friend of my discovery, certain it would mortify her and get one of her children that had clearly had an accident with a plate of spaghetti but didn't clean it up completely, in big dog trouble!  I was reminded of this a couple of days ago when I found a layer of dust in plain site in my home. I must have looked at it a thousand times but somehow missed it every time.  Our entire family once again squeezed themselves into our little cottage over Christmas.  I had scrubbed and planned for days in preparation for these moments.  We laughed, we cried, we sang, we played, we prayed and we gathered around the table.  Those are the ingredients that make the gathering of family for this mamma. Now let me clarify, lest you are thinking a "little layer of dust"or "write your name in it kind of dust"... OH NO!  It was take your finger and scrape large whole families of dust bunnies up, use a broom, or better yet a vacuum cleaner to get it all up kind of dust!

A few things ran through my mind.  First, I need someone who sees better than me to clean my house! (Pretty certain that won't happen) Second, my kids probably all saw the dirt and just gave me grace, like I did my friend years ago. A perfect house and a perfect life really isn't the goal anyway, or it shouldn't be.  Third, it's okay to let people see our noodles on the floor and dust in our cracks. It's taken me a long time to come to those conclusions, but living in community with authenticity has resulted in such freedom and growth in my life, and in many lives around me as we walk out sanctification together, that I'm not going back!  Back to the days of painting a picture of what I want you to see or giving the appearance of having it all together.  Yep, it's better this way.  

Another thought that ran through my mind is how many times I looked at that dust and dirt and didn't see it.  How familiar we become with our own lives and the dirt we let lie in the cracks.  After all who will see?  Push all of that stuff in a closet somewhere and shut the door! It's a new year, time to do a little house cleaning spiritually, physically, financially, and emotionally. (And clearly some actual house cleaning for me)  Maybe now is the time or this is the year to ask God to move the furniture and get the noodles of sin, idols, and unbiblical thinking unglued from our lives.  Maybe today is the day to ask Him to clean out the cracks and crevices of our lives, you know the recesses that no one can see, but you and Him know they are there?  The dust and dirt of unforgiveness, hurt, and selfishness.

Oh Lord turn on the Light, search us and try us and remove the noodles under our chairs and the dust in our cracks.

One more thought that ran though this overactive brain of mine;  how He uses the mundane dailies to continue to teach this hopelessly flawed woman. That thought delighted my soul......

Happy New Year!

Always Learning,

Kim