Invest in Love?!

I'm no biblical scholar, but I find myself inspired by how real and relevant the Word of God is in a modern context. I woke up this morning, and I had the parable of the talents on my mind. I was also thinking of overflowing level of hate that is swiping the hearts of men and women in our nation. The two didn't seem to match until I looked further at the parable of minas in Luke which mostly the same story. I have been putting thought to how we need to choose the side of love over hate in today's climate. But those of us that chose Love must know that we not in for a quick journey with instant results. It will be a labor intense path that's not for the lazy or weak.  God is at work, and He has given us a part to play. It is time to head into the field and put in work. It is not permissible in this time to mimic the mistakes of past generations. We are at a time I feel a more sincere harvest of followers is ready to be reaped. People that want to follow Jesus simply because He is good and worthy of it.

I grew up hearing that Jesus is coming back and that the world is going to end soon. To this day false prophets are still scaring God's children with claims of revelations that prove God is coming on a particular date. Completely ignoring that God's word says it will be like a thief in the night and you won't know when he is coming. People tend to gather signs and wonders and credit it as motivation to warn others to get right with God because He is coming back and you don't want to be left behind. I'm not saying that this is entirely wrong, but it is troublesome if just used as an evangelical scare tactic. As a child hearing this I always felt like you shouldn't just get saved from hell. It seems if your only motivation is avoiding hell than what does that say about God. It made me fear a dictator in the sky that created the worst place ever for me if I did wrong. It did motivate me to say I'll be saved with my mouth, but it wasn't in my heart.  As an adult, I have a more intimate relationship with God. I know Him to be real and not a scary old white man with a long white beard that will punish me. Now see the redemptive power of the cross, I know Jesus came to restore our broken relationship with the Father. I view myself as free to live with Jesus and free to allow him to live through me. I have the right motivation to be on this journey with God. I'm riding with God because He first loved me and I feel that love. I know hell is real, but since I have been able to feel His presence, hell has lost its sting and isn't an option for me. It was discipleship that saved me from hell, not fear.

We can't force people to love, I believe that love comes with its own convictions that compels us to love. Once we get love, it activates something that makes us want to model that same love to others. As we learn how to follow that conviction The Holy Spirit gives us to love we are going to make some mistakes. We have to get up, keep going and then help others do the same.  This can be the most laboring part of our walk with God but the most beneficial. We have a task to invest what love God has given us into this hurt and dying world. We as a people cant hide our giftings and experience with those who are in need. We have to help disciple as Jesus called us to do.

When I awoke this morning thinking about those parables, I realized  I don't want to be the one coming to my master upon His return with only what he gave me. I want to invest in the heart and soul that God gave me, into serving His people. I desire to let the love God be multiplied several folds into this world. I have buried his talent or manas for too long. God is good, and I need to go fouth and invest all he has done for me by answering my call to disciple.

The world we live in has a view of us as Jesus followers that it's very comfortable having. They think we are greedy, hateful bigots and judgmental. I have been in church most my life and sadly can't argue with those negative views. But I can say Jesus isn't nor has he ever been any of those things. Because of that, more than ever Jesus needs to be the standard of what we display.  I want to put him on display for all nations, starting here at home. For far too long believers have silenced the call to be a voice in social injustice. I'm free from racial and social inequality because who the Son sets free is free indeed. I believe that to be true, not easy. Racial injustice targets me often but no longer penetrates my soul because all is well in the innermost secret places I have hidden His word. I know I'm governed by love, and love alone has the power to drive out hate because God is Love.

God gave me a beautiful dark skin tone to be proud of, and the world gave me a system of oppression to overcome. I accept worlds challenge and will not only take my own victory but will lead others to other come by the blood of the lamb and the words of our testimony.

Here are the parables that motivated me to invest into love today:

Luke 19:11-27
11 While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. 12 He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas.[a] ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’
14 “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’
15 “He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.
16 “The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’
17 “‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’
18 “The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’
19 “His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’
20 “Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21 I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’
22 “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’
24 “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’
25 “‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’
26 “He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 27 But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.’”

Mathew 25:14-30
14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’
26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’