Game Changers: Devotions for Families Who Play Different (Age 13-18)ਨਮੂਨਾ

Faithful In Little and Much

Ready: Matthew 25:14–30

Set:

Jesus uses this parable to teach a valuable lesson. Before the master of the house left for a journey, he talked to three of his servants and asked them to watch after his wealth. To the first servant, he gave five bags of gold, to the next, two bags, and to the last servant, one bag. Each servant received an amount of gold based on their abilities.

The master went on his trip, and when he returned, he visited his three servants to see how they did with the gold he had entrusted to them. The first one brought his master’s initial gold and five more bags of gold, so he returned ten total bags. The master was excited and told the servant great job. Then he invited him to be in charge of things. The second one entered, and he too had doubled his master’s gold and produced four bags of gold. The master was very pleased by this and put this servant in charge of a few things as well.

The third servant entered with only the original bag of gold. The servant explained that he was afraid of the master, blaming him for being a harsh man. The master was furious. He said, “You wicked and lazy servant, why did you not deposit it in the bank, so that when I returned, I would have gotten it back with interest?”

Because the first two were faithful in what they were given, the man knew he could trust them with more, but the third servant was a different story. The man called him wicked and lazy because he didn’t even try to do something good with the man’s gold.

So, what point is Jesus trying to make? The three servants are examples of different followers of Jesus. The first two are followers who are trying to use the resources Jesus blessed them with for the Kingdom. They do their best and are rewarded with more. The third follower is like the believer who goes to church on Sunday but is no different from the rest of the world the other six days of the week. When we are faithful in little things, it’s a good sign we will be faithful in bigger things, too. The key is to be thankful for what you have been given and to be faithful to make the most out of whatever blessing, talent, or skill God gave you.

Go:

1. What are your thoughts about the results the first two servants had with the man’s gold?
2. The third servant did nothing because he was fearful. What does this tell you about fear? He blames the master for his fear. Why do you think it is easier to blame others than to take responsibility?
3. What do you think when some of your teammates don’t work hard to develop their gifts or talents?
4. As an athlete, you can think of the gold in the story as your talent or abilities. What are you doing with your God-given abilities to make them better and do the most with what God has given you?

Workout:

1 Samuel 12:24; Luke 12: 37-40; James 1:17

Overtime:

“Thank you for blessing me with skills and talents. Enable me to use them for Your glory and never take them for granted. Give me a good attitude toward the work that goes into getting better. Help me to encourage others to do the same. In Your name, amen.”