Matthew 6:10

The verse above is part of the prayer that Jesus taught to his disciples. It is many times repeated by us, but not always encounters its due attention: “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” In many ways, we lack to observe that the will of God in heaven is indisputable. His will is always prevalent, always done, no debate about it. But how about on earth? In our life? In our community? Be it done, as it is in heaven!

The will of God is a profound thing. Within our capacity to make choices with the free will God gave us, humans in sinful nature have deviated from the truth and some do all they can to go against God’s will on earth. Does that mean that God is “losing” to man (or the devil for that matter)? Not at all! We learn from the Word of God that these things are necessary to happen. The Bible is so thorough that when the Holy Spirit opens your eyes, everything makes perfect sense. “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7).

How do we discover what God’s will is for our life? Is it when our plans go smoothly? This is not always proof that we are in God’s will. By studying the Bible and praying, we know what God likes and dislikes; we understand what he approves of or what He disapproves of, and thus, we are able to perceive if we are doing God’s will. When we make choices, it is necessary to feel peace, even if the world around us is in turmoil. If we look at the life of Paul, in the New Testament, for example, he was one of the few always willing to do God’s will, no matter the cost. But even so, things in his life did not go smoothly for this faithful servant of Jesus: “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (II Corinthians 4:8,9).

Have no doubt: always choose to do the will of God and delight in it (Psalm 40:8). This is what matters – that His will be done on earth, as it is in heaven!

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Matthew 25:14-30

The Bible teaches us that we receive eternal life through God’s grace, not through our own efforts: “You are saved by grace, through faith, and this does not come from you, it is the gift from God; not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph 2:8).

Nonetheless, life with God results in good actions: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph 2:10). James says that such actions demonstrate our faith in God: “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds” (Jam 2:18b).

In our text today about the kingdom of heaven through an analogy in the parable of the talents, Jesus emphasizes exactly that need. He talks about a man that calls over his servants and entrusts them with his wealth, in the form of talents, the monetary unit at that time. The first two showed disposition and went out immediately to apply the talents received and in a way that the amount multiplied. But the last servant only buried the talent he received. While the first two were commended for their attitude, the last one was reprimanded and lost what he had.

The Word of God continues to be the same and is valid for its readers today. God also awaits for our disposition to administer with faithfulness everything we receive from Him. We have the option to follow the example of the first two servants and use well what has been entrusted upon us or unfortunately, act like the last servant in the parable. And, for what it seems like, in our days, there are many people “burying” what they have received from God. If the majority of the Christians act this way, the declaration of Jesus registered in Matthew 9:37b will continue to be a reality – just a few serving God even though the work to be done is plentiful: “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”What have you been doing with what God has given you? I want to encourage you to put yourself in disposition to accomplish the good works God has entrusted you.

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