Read Matthew 25:14-30 What do I do while I’m waiting?

I have been spending a lot of time lately learning about waiting.  My life is transitioning and I don’t know what’s next.  God has not chosen to tell me, so I wait.  Reading through Matthew, there are two passages in Matthew 25 that can instruct us on waiting.  Jesus is teaching His disciples about what the Kingdom of Heaven is like, and in the first 13 verses of this chapter He describes it as bridesmaids waiting for the bridegroom to arrive.  He takes a long time, and they all fall asleep, but when he does arrive, 5 are prepared with extra oil and 5 are unprepared.  Was the wait about getting ready?  These bridesmaids didn’t end up in an unfortunate circumstance due to his late arrival; they would have been unprepared even if he had come right away.  Without bringing any extra oil, they didn’t have more than one hour’s worth with them; they weren’t ready for his coming.  They tried to scramble around at the last minute buying more oil but they were too late and shut out.

Jesus moves right into the parable of the talents, and describes how the master gives his servants ‘talents’ of money (a measurement of about 75 pounds).  It was a lot of money, and each servant is given a different amount.  Jesus goes on to describe how each servant handles the money while the master is gone.  In each of these two parables it was a really long time that they were waiting.

I’ve read this parable many times, but this time a new thought occurred to me:  What the heck was the guy with the one talent doing while his master was gone? He was given the money to use for his master. The question is not only what did he do with the money, but what did he do with his time? It is quite obvious by the master’s reaction that it wasn’t anything useful.  Is there some parallel in my life, Lord?

Yes, as I’m waiting, I have to be a steward of my time.

Just because I don’t know what’s coming doesn’t mean I can waste my time.  I have lots of extra hours now, and soon I will have a whole lot more.  How will I fill them? This is a way I can prepare for what’s next.  What ways can I put my ‘talent’ of time to work for the Lord? What can I do to get ready for what’s next with the little that the Lord has shown me?  How can I prepare to leave where I am now, to finish well?

“Christ cannot be the Way if I am the end” is a quote I read in the Valley of Vision, a collection of Puritan prayers.  If I’m doing what’s best for me, I am not on the right path.  I cannot close my eyes and walk.  If the path is not clear, as when a trail is covered with leaves, then I have to step more carefully and pay a lot more attention.  Jesus, where are You? Am I even on Your path?

Just because I don’t know what’s coming doesn’t mean God hasn’t told me what to do right now.  Have I been doubting it, questioning my calling and my vision? My spiritual director once told me, “Don’t doubt in the darkness what God has given you in the light”.  If my go-to is quitting then I’m not following – the end of that path is me, not Jesus.

I am good at making to do lists; maybe it’s time to make a ‘not to do’ list.  It may have to include more than my preferred time wasters and leisure time activities.  It may have to include what I think about, my attitudes and actions.  My bad thought patterns need to be replaced with thoughts that honour God.  That’s got to include what I’m watching and reading.  The list from Philippians 4:8 needs to replace my current go-to thoughts about people and situations.  It’s time to refresh the renewing of my mind as it says in Romans 12:2, and stop conforming to the patterns of the world.  I thought I learned this stuff a long time ago but I’ve been slipping.  I find myself running to fear rather than running to God.  What are these things for you?

What talent or resource has God given you that you’ve buried and you’re wasting your time instead, doing other things?  Ask God to show you and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you back to a place of readiness and preparation for His coming.