Spritual Gifts

While preparing for a lesson I'm giving this Sunday, I came across this story:

A minister was giving a sermon that was several hours long. There was a small break for the audience to get up and walk around at bit. The minister knew many of the people in the audience and he went down to talk to some of the people at the front. He was talking to a man whose wife had left the room for a few minutes. The minister asked the husband if that was his wife's bible, and asked if he could look at it. The minister took the bible and put a $5 bill inside then told the husband that in a few minutes he would be asking for a volunteer and he would call on the wife. The husband was to make sure the wife brought up her bible, but not to tell her that she was going to be chosen. So the sermon got started again and after a few minutes the minister asked for a volunteer from the audience and then pointed out the wife and asked her to come forward. The husband told her to bring her bible because she might need it.

The minister then says, "Do you believe I am a man of God?"

"Yes"

"Do you know me as a friend and trust me?"

"yes"

"Do you think that I would lie to you?"

"No, of course not"

"If I gave you a very simple task, that you could accomplish right up here with me, would you do it?"

"sure"

"OK. Give me $5"

The wife looks at him strangely and gives a questioning gesture. "Just let me go get my purse."

"But I said you could do this simple task right up here. Don't you trust me? Would I lie to you?"

"But I don't have $5"

This conversation goes on for a few more lines and then the minister asks the wife to give him the bible. He opens it and shows her the $5 bill.

She says, "How did that get in there?"

"I put it there."

God will never give us a task that he has not already given us the talents and ability to accomplish. We may not see them at first, but he has put them there and we must ask for his help and strength in doing his will.

I found this to be a great object lesson for my class as well as my own life. I find that it puts the talents that I have, known or not, into a different perspective. Definately inspiration for my don't-waste-your-talents new year's resolution.