Episode 148: Matthew Chapter 25

Don’t you love guilt trips.I can’t tell you how many things that I have done because I was guilted into it. Most of the time it worked out ok, but a few of those things were a little adventurous to say the least. Whenever I would read Matthew 25, I would read it through the guilt lens, don’t be one of those foolish girls, be a better planner and be organized. Be a good money manager unlike that last guy, you don’t want to be that guy, so use your money wisely with a “budget” approved by Dave. The last one was an ice cream Sunday with 3 giant scoops of guilt, don’t be a slacker, do more and achieve more for God or your a goat and you are BAD! So, I would try harder to be a “good” Christian, fail, try even harder and on and on the cycle would go.
But I think that it misses the point, it’s not about beating yourself up for not measuring up, but being ready by living for Jesus each day. It’s about looking for opportunities to grow in your skills for God’s glory and to not be afraid of being stretched. It’s about taking those skills and serving others not out of guilt or fear of not measuring up, but living each day for Jesus as his witness to God’s new government.
That new perspective is so freeing! I am so motivated to serve and love because I want to be more like Jesus each day. This subtle shift fits in with what we have learned about Jesus in the Gospels and I wish that I would have figured this truth out earlier in life, but that’s what this journey is for, discovering who Jesus is and how we can follow him. We can take these daily discoveries and change our trajectory and that’s success.