February 21, 2024

Hiding. It’s built into our human nature. From the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve hid from God, we’ve continued that behavior. Of course, Adam and Eve hid because they felt the shame and guilt of their sin—just as many of us do today. But we hide for more reasons than that. The third servant in our story bore that out today.
This servant, who was given an entrustment from God just like the other two servants, didn’t try to do anything with his gift. He didn’t invest it in goods that he could turn around and sell to make more. He didn’t buy seeds and try to plant crops that might become a money-maker for his boss. In fact, he didn’t do anything with the gift. Except hide it. “Better to hide than lose it,” was his philosophy. Too bad it wasn’t a philosophy the master agreed with. If he wanted his money simply hidden, he would have dug the hole himself and placed it there. Sadly, the behavior of the third servant is one that reflects the way many of us respond to the gifts given to us by God.
Some people hide their gifts in a hole buried by their fears. They’re afraid of failing. They’re afraid of succeeding. They’re afraid of what people might think or say. They’re afraid of letting someone down. They’re afraid of letting God down. Other people bury their gifts in holes covered by past wounds. They used their gifts once and it didn’t go well. They didn’t get the response they thought they would. They didn’t get the appreciation they deserved. Someone criticized them. Someone didn’t stand up for them. No, they tried to use their gifts and got burned. Never again. Still others hide their gifts in a hole covered by their feelings of inadequacy. Maybe they were told they weren’t gifted. Maybe someone made fun of them. Or maybe they grew up around over-achieving siblings or friends and realized they could never compete. “Someone else could do it better,” they think. So, they hide. Here’s one that hurts. Some of us hide simply because we’re lazy or self-consumed. We’d rather be consumers than contributors. We’re happy just letting everyone else do the work, have the responsibility, and take the lead. We’re going to ride our recliners all the way to the Pearly Gates. We may not like the reception we get there, though.
What’s YOUR excuse for hiding? Whatever it is, it’s time to get over it. It’s time to dig up your gifts and find a way to put them into practice. You weren’t given your talents and gifts, no matter how meager you may think them to be, to hide them away somewhere. God says that EACH of us is a vital part of what He’s up to here on Earth. He gave you your gifts for a reason, even if it’s not a reason you may fully understand. He didn’t tell you that you had to be the brightest star in the sky. But He did say you had to shine wherever you are with what you have. You may fall on your face, you may see little to no return on your efforts, and you may get yelled at, criticized and put down for what you do. God’s okay with that, He’ll settle the score in the end. But there’s one thing He’s NOT okay with. Hiding. That’s God’s Word for you today