Unopened Boxes
They’ve been sitting there for years. Boxes in my garage. Things deemed valuable more than 10 years ago, packed carefully, taped shut, and stowed on shelves for what has turned into a long hibernation. It wasn’t that we intended to store unused boxes of stuff for years. Some of it is pretty good stuff. We simply allowed it to sit there, unseen, unused, silently occupying space. If it weren’t for minimal labeling, I would have no idea what is in most of those boxes. I’m not particularly proud of this reality, but it did get me thinking.
Yes, we’ve begun to divest ourselves of unused, neglected stuff. And it feels great. But what cranked up my thinking was the parallels with a lot of our lives regarding non-use. Between natural ability, the gifts God endows believers with, and things we’ve learned or been trained to do, I wonder how much of that sits unused on the shelves of our lives. It has been said repeatedly that in most churches, 20% of the people do 80% of the work. So, who are the other eighty percent? Are they simply “them,” or is it possible that I have fallen into that group? Am I using what God has given me in terms of time, resources and ability, or is my life so full that those things get stored away? Really, none of us intend to join the 80% group. None of us intend to be “unused Christians.” Hey, we didn’t tape up any boxes thinking “this will sit untouched for years to come.” But the longer something sits on the shelf, well, the longer it sits on the shelf.
In Matthew 25:14-28, Jesus tells a story about a master who gave talents to his servants, went away, and returned to see how they fared. That last servant had dug a hole and buried the talent that was entrusted to him (he boxed it up and stowed it in the garage). When the master returned, well, suffice it to say he was not happy about unused talents. I have a feeling that master might have a few thoughts about my garage.
Is it possible that the garage of your life has accumulated things that are not being used? I know, there are dozens of excuses for storing things away. And many times, storing is indeed temporary. But there really aren’t valid excuses for not using what God has given you and me for His glory, to further His cause. Maybe now is a good time to check your personal life garage, or ask your spouse or a close friend to help take inventory. Is there unused, forgotten stuff stored away in your life? Talents are given to be used, not stored long-term.
