Purpose Over Passivity

Lord, What is My Purpose?

I am a naturally laid back, “type B” personality in a world full of “type A” driven people. Don’t get me wrong, I can be very driven and self-motivated when I put my mind to it. When I make a list and set a timer, I can accomplish quite a lot in a short amount of time. But these are learned behaviors for me, not natural ones.

When my natural bent is to sit still and dream the day away, I have to be purposeful with my time so I don’t waste it. Time spent resting is a JOY for my natural self… I plan my long lazy vacation days with great delight!  But the Bible tells us that time is SHORT and we need to pay attention to how we’re using it, so when vacation is over, it’s time to get back to work.

We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work.

John 9:4

We tend to think of “our calling” as something big and important that is waiting for us around the next corner, or the next ten corners.  Some of us have been waiting for “it” to happen all our lives, waiting and wondering, “When, Lord, when? When’s my big break? When do I get to stand in the spotlight?”  

It is true that if we are faithful with little, the Lord will make us ruler over much (Matthew 25:21), whether in this life or in the one to come.  The Lord is always with us, and therefore He is always working in us and through us, so long as we are not standing in His way.  It’s just that we may have misunderstood our assignment.  

Parable of the Talents

The bible basically tells us to take what we have right now, and do everything we can with it, causing it to grow in the process, to the best of our ability.  We see this in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30).  

The master entrusted a different number of “talents” to each of his servants, just as the Father has given each of us varying degrees of talents, strengths, and abilities.  The servants who used their talents, invested them, and caused them to grow were rewarded. But the one servant who sat on his talent, burying it in the ground out of fear, was referred to as “wicked and slothful.” The parable tells us that servants like this one will be cast into outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

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.”

Matthew 25:24-25

This servant allowed fear to make him passive with his God-given gifts. He feared his master, compared himself with his master’s talents, and possibly with the other servants’, and instead of fighting through it and overcoming that fear, he sat down and refused to move.

Passivity for any reason makes us hide our talents in the ground. We refuse to do what is right, and never take a step outside of our comfort zones. Passivity is part of the enemy’s plan for believers in Christ, and it is a wide path that leads to death.

Comparison is the Thief of Joy

Only one servant was blessed with five talents. In the same way, we are not all great speakers, powerful singers, or blessed with great wealth.  Maybe we only have one small talent in our possession, and that’s okay! We must realize that every talent is a gift to be cherished and put to good use for God’s glory, and for the good of others.

It is not how we compare to the five-talent crowd that matters. Comparison will only serve to show us what we don’t have and where we are lacking. What really matters, and what we must seriously ask ourselves, is what are we doing with what we do have?

A one-talent person can accomplish so much more than he can ask or imagine with his one excellently applied talent, especially when the energy to move forward comes from the Holy Spirit and not from human effort alone.

If you will stay in your own lane (focused on your own work), not looking to the right or to the left, and refuse to worry about what anyone else is doing, you will accomplish much and reap a harvest if you don’t give up! (Proverbs 4:25-27, Galatians 6:9-10)

The Fear of Man is a Trap

The servant with the one talent was a trusted servant, but he feared his master. Why? He said he knew his master to be a “hard” man. One with high expectations – reaping where he did not sow, gathering where he scattered no seed. These facts caused him to be afraid of failure, afraid of his master’s disapproval, instead of energized by his strong example. This is one symptom of the fear of man.

The Bible says, in Proverbs 29:25, that “the fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.” Needing the approval of people, or fearing their disapproval, keeps us from following the Lord. We are more concerned about our success or failure in the eyes of man than we are about pleasing God and accomplishing His assignments. The fear of man is a trap, and when you are in its clutches, it is that same fear that paralyzes you into passivity.

The fear of man leads to doubt and doublemindedness. When we are doubleminded, we have a hard time making decisions… a hard time instantly knowing our likes and dislikes… and it becomes nearly impossible to choose the unpopular path. Our personality is unstable and changes with the tides… we become dependent on what everyone else thinks… and we lose the ability to hear and follow what God thinks. It shakes the foundation of our faith, and can lead us astray. (James 1:5-8)

The truth is that you are a trusted servant of God, your Master.  He has given you His talents for your joy and for His glory.  You do not need anyone else's approval to follow Him.  You have His FULL approval and acceptance when you are walking obediently by His side.  And if you are unsure, don't worry.  He will guide your path.  He can be trusted. 

The Master Trusts His Servants. Will We Also Trust Him in Return?

The servant in our parable did not trust the heart of his master. He believed him to be a hard-hearted man. But we can see that the master’s faithful servants were rewarded with a double portion, a promotion in their positions, and the invitation to enter into his joy. This master had high standards, but he did not place unrealistic expectations on his servants. We can see this in his answer to the slothful servant… “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” (Matthew 25:27). Even if he had taken baby steps to move forward with his one talent, the master would have been satisfied.

Life can incorrectly teach us that our loving, respectful, faithful, merciful God is a harsh taskmaster, but He absolutely is not. He desires for us to enter into His rest, and into His joy. When we finally find fulfillment in becoming who He has created us to be… simply by using the talents, gifts, and abilities He placed within us… we’ll wonder why we waited so long to get started.

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 4:10-11