DO HARD THINGS
KEY SCRIPTURE: He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master… I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. … his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! … take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 25:14-30 (ESV)
I have a very dear friend whom I have shared this parable with multiple times. She is completely capable of working, but prefers to stay at home watching reruns of her favorite sitcom or playing video games all day, doing the absolute bare minimum to maintain her government funded income. She spends more time and energy trying to find ways to get OUT of work than she would EVER spend if she actually just worked.
I have another friend who does have a job, but only because he has a child to support, and his wife can’t do it all on her own, though she does do most of it. While he goes to work every day, he also does ONLY what is absolutely REQUIRED of him, complains constantly about the unfairness of management, and refuses to do ANYTHING more - like continuing education or gaining certifications - without being paid for it FIRST. He feels “merit based salary increases” are unfair, and while he thinks everyone absolutely should get a raise each year, all raises should be large, and they should all be the same amount for everyone. He’s very smart, and I’m sure if the energy he spent on complaining was focused on more productive areas, he would be an excellent manager or even a successful business owner.
A river becomes crooked by choosing the course of least resistance.
And so do people.
When we are willing to step into difficulties and CHOOSE to do hard things, it keeps us on the straight and narrow. It hones our capabilities, strengthening and preparing us for the next challenge we may face. If we’re not prepared, we may miss the opportunity that that challenge may be offering us.
I’ve always found it interesting that the “money” in the parable in our key scripture is called talents. Our Father has entrusted each of us with gifts… certain “talents” that He expects us to actually USE. They are gifts that are meant to not only bless us, but to bless others when we give those gifts away… by not being lazy and/or not being afraid of actually USING them, productively.
I love how Eugene Peterson translates this passage in The Message Bible. He said, “The master was furious. ‘That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least?”
That’s brilliant!
And Jesus certainly doesn’t pull any punches about how upset God is with those who choose to “bury” their talents out of fear! He takes their talents away, gives them to others who are willing to use them productively, and then casts those “wicked and lazy servants” out where there will be “weeping & gnashing of teeth.” GAK!
I’ve actually had an experience where I was soooo upset I was literally crying and grinding my teeth. It wasn’t over some horrible accident or some tragic mishap… it was over a missed opportunity. Something I had chosen NOT to do, and would never have the opportunity to repeat again. It was gone forever, and I knew it. I didn’t do something I KNEW I should do, and now that opportunity was forever lost.
THAT is what causes weeping and gnashing of teeth!
When you step into difficulties and choose to do hard things… things that are stressful, scary, strenuous or just inconvenient, (especially when the only real reason for doing so is because it’s the “right” thing to do!) we earn something much more than money. We gain self respect.
And that is not something that will be taken from us and given to another.
There is no self respect in the outer darkness.
SCRIPTURES
Matthew 25:14-30 ~ “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 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.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 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.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (ESV)