what do you have to offer?

I have been in a reflective mood the past couple of weeks, and have done a lot of thinking about our world.  Specifically, the issues and needs our world is facing - war, poverty, hunger, HIV/AIDS, slavery, racism, etc.  No doubt, it can be overwhelming to look at the problems.  And while it is more peaceful personally to ignore the problems, that solution won't solve anything.  So we are left with the question: what do we do to help our world become different and better?

Matthew 25 has been inspirational and challenging for me over the last few weeks.  I have been teaching in our weekend worship service from these three stories Jesus told. (You can listen HERE.)  Two weeks ago, I taught about the parable where Jesus talks about bags of money. (Matthew 25:14-30) .

The story portrays a master who is going away on a long journey.  He calls three servants and entrusts them with a bag of money.  He asks them to invest the money while he is gone.  And when he returns, he will ask them to report what they've done and how his kingdom has expanded even in his absence.

The first two invest the resources and receive a two-fold increase.  The third servant is afraid of losing the money in a risky investment, so he buries it to keep it safe.  He gives the master back what the master gave to him.  

The master applauds the first two servants for their risk-taking, wise investing, and multiplication of resources.  The third servant is reprimanded for his failure to do anything with what the master gave him.

A story that has a lot to say to us.  I have been focused on three questions that are shaped by this story.  I'll share the first one here: What do you have to offer?

This question is expecially pertinent to the question raised earlier in this post: What do we do to help the world become different and better?  We start by figuring out what we have to offer.  Notice that the question assumes that we all have something to offer to our world.  Each person is equipped with something to give - time, talents, and treasure.

The story reminds us that what we have to offer does not originate from us.  It comes from the master.  And it was not given to us for to hold or to hoard.  Nor was it intended to simply advance our  standing in life.  Whatever it is that we have been given is to be used to advance the master's cause - namely, that the world become what he intended it to be.

Since it did not come from us, and is not ultimately for us, it must be employed in advancing the cause and kingdom of the master.  Anything else is irresponsible and selfish.

In my reflective moments this last couple of weeks, I have been overwhelmed with the realities of life and the level of brokenness that surrounds us.  It seems hopeless...almost.  Unless God's people, after they see the condition of our world, look inward to find the answer to the question: What do we have to offer?  If we answer that question, then we can begin to use what we have to change the world.

What do you have to offer?