This morning I ran across the following quote, "To whom much is given, much will be required (Luke 12:48). If you have heard that line of wisdom, you know it means we are held responsible for what we have. If we have been blessed with talents, wealth, knowledge, time, and the like, it is expected that we benefit others."
I agree with this comment about Luke 12:48; however, I want to expand a little on this comment. I believe one of the Blessings we have received freely is our Faith. The gifts of Faith, Love, and Hope are at the core of our work as missionary disciples. To use our faith to share God's good news with others is one of the most important things we can do with our knowledge, time, talents, and wealth. The gift is to share the good news in way that is not judgmental; that focuses on our love for one another; and allows us to share the good news by example, by what we do and not necessarily what we say.
Many times, it is the most casual encounter or conversation that leads us to the most beautiful exchanges about God and all his beautiful creations and to the transformation of someone's life. When we look around, we see examples of God's love for us. The trees, the ocean, the mountains, the rivers, the birds, the butterflies during spring, etc. We often get caught up in the negativity shared through news outlets or social media; however, if we take time to just get out and get to know other people, to experience the outdoors, and to see there is a lot more to our communities than what we see in the media, we can see and appreciate the beauty that surrounds us.
I understand this beauty is not always easy to see when we are surrounded by density in many urban areas where free space is limited; however, even in these environments, we have people who care about us. I believe we receive gifts to seek out communities where beauty is hard to see, to offer what talents, wealth, knowledge, and time we have to serve the common good of all communities.
I often ask myself, what can I do? Sometimes, we have to start at home. Are we taking care of the gifts God has given us - our families, our jobs, our friends, our communities? We can always work harder to make sure we are present for one another. Perhaps, we can involve those in our immediate circle to join us to serve other communities in need. I don't have all the answers; but I do know we carry a huge responsibility when we receive things to ensure we maintain our human equilibrium. Sometimes, when we receive, we believe we did it all on our own; however, there is always someone who helped us along the way. We received help through advice, someone who listened, someone who believed in us, someone who modeled who we wanted to become, someone who encouraged, an experience with another human who caused a turning point in our lives, etc. All these people crossed or were placed in our paths for a reason. I don't believe it is just luck. I believe it is God's divine intervention that coaxes us through life, that gives us the strength to keep moving forward. Let us always be grateful!
More importantly, let us be that person who listened, who gave advice when asked; who helped people sort through issues, who provided options, who encouraged, who set a good example, or who gave a helping hand. Let us always be that person who prays for others and who lives with the mindset that anything we do impacts someone else. Jesus does His work through each one of us. He gives us gifts to transform lives, to bring people to salvation; and everlasting life in His glorious Kingdom.
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