Much is required from those to whom much is given, and much more is required from those to whom much more is given.

Luke 12:48b (NLT)

The students that made up the youth group were seething at their youth pastor as he stood in front of them, burning a twenty-dollar bill. For these kids, twenty dollars was a big deal! He would set fire to the bill, let a bit of it burn, blow out the flame, and then light it again. Repeatedly, he asked the question: “Is the bill still worth twenty dollars?”

The kids thought the youth pastor was crazy! They begged him to stop—to give the money to them—before it was too late and the cash was worthless. The students yelled in frustration as the money finally disappeared into ashes.  In a quiet voice, the pastor asked, “How many of you are treating the life God gave you in the same way?” The atmosphere of the group changed immediately as the kids fell into an introspective silence.

What about you? God has given each of us tremendous gifts of life, talents, and abilities. Are these being used as God intended, or are they—like the twenty-dollar bill in the youth pastor’s lesson—being slowly squandered away?

Fortunately for us, God is in the business of re-creating squandered lives. There is no one so far gone that God is not able to restore and rebuild a life. It’s never too late to recognize waste in our own lives, ask God for His forgiveness and grace, and get back on the track of real life, offering ourselves up to God to be used by Him.

Today, take a quick self-inventory. Are you being responsible with the gifts God has given you or are you allowing yourself to be wasted? Do whatever it takes to make needed changes and to put your God-given gifts to use for the cause of Christ!

GOING DEEPER:
1. What gift, ability, or talent do you possess that is not being used to its fullest for the cause of Christ?

2. What decisions do you need to make that would allow God to do a work of re-creation in your life so that He may use you more effectively for His purposes?

FURTHER READING:
Acts 9; 1 Corinthians 4:2, Philippians 3:12-14; 2 Timothy 4:7