Collecting Cobwebs

What happens when you don't use something for a long time and leave it sitting around forgotten? It collects cobwebs.

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There seem to be a lot of new things happening in my life at the moment in almost every area. They're pretty much all positive & exciting things, but the feeling of being overwhelmed can still creep in. To keep my head above water, I've been reminding myself of this phrase over and over - keep a Kingdom mindset.

I am reminded of this by 2 passages in scripture: The Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30 and Ecclesiastes 1-4.

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The parable of the talents is a story of doing much with what you are given. Jesus starts the story by saying that the talents (or, silver) were divided among the three men in proportion to their abilities (v. 15b). The master gave the first servant 5 bags of silver - he went and invested the money and doubled it. The second servant received 2 bags of silver and followed similar suit - he also doubled what he was given. The third servant was only given 1 bag of silver and was so afraid of losing it so he dug a hole and hid it in the ground - doing nothing with it. Upon the master's return each servant gave an account of what they had done with what they were given:

To the first two servants the master responded to their growth with "Well done my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate together!" (Matthew 25:21)

We are all given something - spiritual gifts, opportunities, resources, etc. - what are we going to do with it to honor God and further His Kingdom? In regards to the last servant, not losing the money wasn't enough for the master. He had entrusted the servant to be active with what he had provided and multiply it. The same can be said of us. The Lord has given us each different gifts, talents, and abilities - how will we use what He has so graciously given for His glory?

Instead of living in fear, step out in faith with a Kingdom mindset and see all that God can do through your obedience.

Volunteer in your church, get to know the barista you see every day when ordering your latte, spark up a conversation with the cashier at Kroger, have a Kingdom mindset in all that you do to encourage you through the mundane of life and allow your spiritual gifts to be used for the Lord's work; don't let them collect cobwebs.

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Ecclesiastes (focusing on chapters 1-4) takes a more somber and sobering approach. The author reiterates the point that life is meaningless. What a bummer, huh? But in 2:24-25 he says "So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God. For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from Him?" (NLT)

Yes, if you wake up every day with the mindset of working to gain money or status or fulfillment in your accomplishments or anything besides dwelling in the Lord you will be left unsatisfied. So keep a Kingdom mindset. In all that you do - working, spending time with friends, getting coffee, grocery shopping, working out - see it as an opportunity to advance the Lord's Kingdom, and then these daily tasks won't feel so hopeless. Instead they'll carry an eternal purpose. Shake off the cobwebs on those spiritual gifts that were so graciously entrusted to you and get moving :)

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Prayer is a powerful tool, and I want to pray over each of you! If you have a prayer request or something you'd like to discuss please feel free to message me on Instagram @maryrebeccanance

Everything is confidential, I want to provide a safe space for you to share in your burdens and your celebrations!