00:00please excuse my voice today i have a little bit of a cold i wanted you to think about something
00:07for just one minute did you know that god has placed something in your life that matters and i do
00:15not just mean some obvious talent
00:18maybe you can sing or teach or lead maybe you're a builder a writer just creative or you can speak
00:31but maybe that is not you maybe what god has given you is patience maybe it's compassion maybe you are
00:42the person who listens when somebody else is hurting maybe you're dependable maybe you know how to
00:49encourage somebody when they are all ready to quit maybe you pray for people maybe you care for a family
00:58member maybe you work hard when nobody else notices maybe you have survived things that taught you how
01:07to sit beside someone else in pain maybe your gift is simply that you keep showing up every day
01:17you know what those things matter too your gift does not have to put you on a stage
01:24it does not have to make you famous it does not even have to be something other people immediately
01:31recognize god can use what seems ordinary and he can use you your talent your ability your experience your time
01:45your heart your opportunities even the things you have learned through difficulty those can all become
01:54something god uses your talent is god's gift to you what you do with what he has given you
02:02is your gift back to god jesus taught a lesson about this in matthew 25
02:12he told the story about a master who was leaving on a journey before he left he entrusted three servants
02:20with three different amounts one received five talents one received two and one received one now they did not
02:33all receive the same thing and that's an important part because jesus was not teaching that everyone has
02:40the same abilities the same opportunities or the same life we do not some people have more
02:50resources some have fewer some have obvious gifts others have quiet ones some people have
02:59opportunities that others never had but the lesson was not about having the most it was about being
03:08faithful with what you do have the first two servants used what they were given the third buried his
03:17in the ground and the servant with the two talents was never criticized because he did not have five
03:26god did not ask him to be somebody else he asked him to be faithful with what had been placed
03:35in his hands
03:36now that matters because we can waste so much time looking at other people
03:42we look at somebody who has more money more ability more opportunity more confidence more education
03:52or more influence and eventually we can start thinking i do not have much to offer
04:02but that's not what jesus taught you do not have to have what somebody else has
04:09you have to be faithful with what you do have and sometimes what you have may seem very small
04:18maybe all you can do today is encourage one person then encourage one person maybe all you can do
04:30today is pray then pray maybe all you can do is help somebody who is struggling
04:37then help them maybe you can be patient with someone who is difficult
04:45be patient maybe you can forgive maybe you can show kindness maybe you can be dependable
04:54maybe you can simply be present when somebody else feels alone
05:02do not underestimate those things jesus never said that only big visible things matter
05:11in fact he repeatedly noticed people everyone else overlooked he noticed the widow who gave two small coins
05:21he noticed children he noticed the sick he noticed the poor he noticed people standing on the edge of the
05:31crowd
05:32god sees things the world often misses that includes what you do when no one is applauding
05:40the servants who used what they had both heard the same words well done good and faithful servant
05:51they had different amounts but they got the same approval because god was looking at faithfulness
05:59so maybe you're not the most talented person in the room so what that's okay
06:07maybe you don't even know what your talent is yet you know what that's okay too start with
06:17what is already in front of you who can you help ask yourself who can you love what responsibility can
06:27you take seriously today what have you learned that could help somebody else what opportunity is god
06:36placed in your life today because of the third servant did have something but he buried it
06:46and fear was a big part of the reason and i believe that still happens today what do you think
06:55what if i fail what if i do not have enough what if somebody else can do more what if
07:03what i have does not
07:05matter well i'm going to tell you right now my friend it matters do not measure the value of your
07:14life by
07:15how visible your gift is a quiet life can be a faithful life a person who raises a child with
07:24love is doing
07:25something important a person who cares for an aging parent is doing something important a person who works honestly and
07:37provides for a family is doing something important a person who sits beside a grieving friend is doing something important
07:48a person who prays when nobody
07:51knows they are praying is doing something important is doing something important a person who keeps choosing kindness in a
07:59hard world
08:01is doing something important you may never have a platform you may never have a title you may never have
08:11thousands of people who know your name
08:13that does not mean god cannot use your life look at jesus himself he knew what the father had given
08:23him to do so he served he loved he healed he noticed people he even washed feet he gave himself
08:37for others
08:39and near the end of his earthly ministry jesus said in john 17 that he had completed the work the
08:47father had given him the work he was given not somebody else's work
08:57his and that may be one of the most freeing things that you and i can understand you do not
09:04have to live somebody else's life
09:07you do not have to have somebody else's gift and you do not have to make the impact somebody else
09:16makes
09:18you just need to be faithful with the life you've been given maybe you have a lot on your hands
09:25right now
09:26use it well maybe you feel like you have very little
09:32use that well too god is not asking you to impress him he's asking you to trust him and be
09:41faithful
09:42so instead of asking what great talent do i have maybe ask what has god given me today that i
09:53can use
09:53for good my time my attention my experience my kindness my strength my strength my story
10:06my patience my ability to listen my willingness to help whatever it is do not dismiss it because
10:19it seems small because in god's hands if you use it and at the end of your life you will
10:29find that
10:30the goal was not to hear that you were the most gifted person the goal is to hear what jesus
10:38described
10:39well done good and faithful servant not famous not impressive not better than everybody else
10:51faithful faithful faithful so whatever god has placed in your hands big or small visible or
10:58quiet do not bury it my friend use it well my name is douglas vandergraaf and i believe in jesus
11:10christ
11:10god bless every single one of you every single one and everyone you love
11:23bye bye
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