Old habits
As the year draws to a close, there might be some regrets about things you have done over the past year. Or things that you should have done. I know that I am guilty of many sins, top of the list is wasting things that I have been blessed with and not giving enough glory to God. Over the last year, I have wasted so much time doing things I know I shouldn't be doing ~ watching TV, facebook, sleeping, playing sudoku and other games, making things, daydreaming. I know I have wasted money buying things I don't necessarily need. I know that I should have been using this time and these resources to further God's kingdom and at the very least do what I am supposed to be doing. That is writing this PhD. And sometimes, the thought is, oh well, I've already wasted the time, might as well keep doing it. OR worse yet, I don't even realise that I'm wasting time, because it's become a habit. I wake up, my phone is besides me so I check my email and log onto facebook. I get on the train and the first thing I do is open sudoku. I come home after a hard day's work and turn on the TV.
My friend reminded me, "we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then is not an act, but an habit".
I have been blessed with so many gifts from God, yet I am wasting them. I should be a good and faithful servant and properly use the gifts to further HIS kingdom on earth!! Brothers and sisters, if you see me wasting time, resources, gifts, give me a friendly reminder :)
Matthew 25:14-30
New International Version (NIV)
The Parable of the Bags of Gold
14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Christmas song #9
