Time, Talents, and Treasure

As Christians everything we have is from God. If we do not accept this simple fact than the rest of our life lacks meaning. He is the one who created us, who breathed life into our lungs. He is the one who made the heavens, the earth, the animals, and the fish of the sea. All of our talents and abilities come from the Lord. We might think that WE earned the degree or WE made this or that accomplishment, but it is all the work of the Lord. Yes, we are the ones who did the work to get a degree or to get a job, but it is the Lord who provided the resources and abilities. Since everything is from the Lord then we need to be THANKFUL and return a portion of our resources to him as an offering of THANKSGIVING. In fact this is what we do at every Divine Liturgy, we THANK God for all that he has done and continues to do for us. We THANK him for our civil authorities, for our rulers and leaders, for the bishops and priests, and for seasonable weather. In fact we THANK the Lord for EVERYTHING.

TIME

When was the last time you stopped and reflected on how you spend your time? Of course most of our time is dedicated to work and the commute to work, but after that, where is our time spent? Do we spend "quality" time with our families? Do we stop and listen to the worries or joys of our spouses and children? Are we being Christian examples to our children by praying with them every night? Or are we too busy or tired? Do we dedicate a few minutes a day to scripture reading and in prayer? Or do we watch our favorite T.V program or video instead? Do we preserve a few minutes of each day in silence in reflection on the coming challenges and struggles of the day? Or do we forget about the Lord’s help? In reality, are we dedicating a portion of our day to the Lord besides the time spent at work and in the "cares of this world."

TALENTS

Do we realize that all or our talents and abilities are from the Lord? Perhaps we are good with our hands and construct and build things. Or maybe we are talented organizers and work in the corporate world. Maybe we are educators, teaching our young children and adults. Or perhaps we are in the health care field ministering to the sick and suffering and those who are recuperating from medical procedures. Or maybe we work at home raising our young children. Our talents and abilities should help to edify the church which St. Paul likens as to a body . St. Paul tells us that we are all members of the Body of Christ and all parts of the body work in various ways. Arms are used for opening things, legs are for walking, and tongues are used for tasting and speaking. Each of us have different talents and abilities and are essential for the body to work. However, we must always remember that it is HIS body, not ours. Christ is the HEAD of the body and we are the members of the body.

TREASURE

Finally, do we realize that even our financial resources are from the Lord? Since He is the one who gave us the talents and abilities to work then even our salaries and financial resources are from Him as well. Do we show THANKS and give generously to the Lord or do we give him the leftovers, the remaining crumbs after all the money is already spent? In the Bible the Israelites gave the Lord the FIRST FRUITS of their livliehood. Whether it was produce, cattle, birds, or clothes, they dedicated the FIRST and the BEST to the Lord and then lived on what was remaining. Are we giving the FIRST FRUITS or the LAST FRUITS?