“But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.”
Luke 12:48(NLT)
This verse in Luke 12 should motivate believers to understand the significance of accountability and responsibility. Romans 11:29 tells us that when God gives us gifts, He never does a take-back. Both His gifts and His calling can never be withdrawn. It is no coincidence that both His gifts and calling are mentioned in the same verse. They are spiritually related and so tightly wound that only Heavenly Father can separate them. Our Heavenly Father is a God of order. He doesn’t deal in redundancy and waste. Everything He does has a purpose, and it is to be used for His glory. So, if we do not prove ourselves good stewards of God’s rewards, we’ll leave an opening for the enemy to steal what God has given us.
This has happened to many people when it comes to the things that they hold most dear and precious in life. The more we know about God’s Word, the more we are held accountable for what we know. When we don’t live up to this accountability and responsibility, there’s a heavy price to pay. We can see this play out most clearly in relationships. Believers will do all that is necessary to receive the blessing, but when it comes to maintaining the blessing, we sometimes revert to the habit patterns of our former way of life. We let insecurities, anger, jealousy or other negative attitudes and behaviors of the past filter their way into our relationships, and this does not demonstrate gratitude or responsibility to God for the blessing He’s given us.
In Romans 12:1, through the Apostle Paul, Heavenly Father lovingly begs us to hand ourselves over to Him lock, stock, and barrel. All that we are belongs to Him, but He leaves it up to us to deliver ourselves into His hands. When we do this, He is not going to leave us the same way we came. He’s going to teach and help us to become more like His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. In Romans 12:2, God warns us against copying the negative and sinful behaviors of the world. Instead, we are to allow Him transform us from the inside out by changing the way we think.
He tells us in Romans 12:3(NLT), “Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.” Faith is the accurate measuring stick for our lives. It will show us where we are in our relationship with God, and faith will reveal what we’re valuing most. If we’re not making the things of God a priority, and we’re not putting forth actions to live according to His Word, then we are not backing our faith with the kind of action that pleases God. Things will not work the way we expect when this is the case. We must be spiritually mature enough to do as Paul instructs in 2Corinthians 13:5(NLT), “Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine.”
The abundance in our lives is clearly measured by the amount of God’s Word we put on in our minds, and how much of it is saturated in our hearts. We must be firmly anchored in the reality that life will give back to us what we give it. This challenges us to be spiritually stronger, courageous and more determined to put on more of Christ.
The New King James Version translation of Luke 12:48 states, “For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required.” This truth is clearly evidenced in the lives of single Christians. Heavenly Father gives us time to prepare, but sometimes we view this period the way God’s people living during the Old Testament looked at their time in the wilderness. They didn’t use their wilderness experience as a season to sharpen their faith. Instead, they used it to complain about what they didn’t have and resorted to their old ways and mindsets. They refused to expand their vision to see the bounty of how the Lord wanted to bless them. Because of their limited vision and refusal to have faith, they could not move to the next level of blessing. They would not rise up to the level of responsibility and stewardship for the blessing of the promise. They would not see it as a commitment to honor God. We must reject this model of behavior if our plans are to receive what the Father has for us.
In praying for a spouse, have you thought about what you’re going to do to consistently show your appreciation to God? How will you demonstrate your management of the gift of another heart to treasure? How does what you’re doing today for God’s Kingdom show that you are true to your commitments to Heavenly Father? God knows we’re not perfect, but He also knows that when it comes to things we really want, we will pursue it to the end. We invest our time and resources into the things that matter most to us. God cannot be placed second on that list. He must be first every moment of every day. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 6:33 that the way to remain blessed is to seek God’s Kingdom and His righteousness first, above all other things.
We are not robots or puppets. God created us to be His children. We are made in His image and Ephesians 5:1 tells us to be imitators of Him. He created us to have spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical needs. And yes, it is sometimes challenging to maneuver through these needs while being single and dating, but nothing is worth compromising our standing with God. He’s looking to see a strong faith in the hearts of His people, because this is what responsibility and accountability to His Kingdom is about. Just as most of us wouldn’t expect an infant to properly care for a diamond necklace, we should understand that God expects that if we’re asking for a treasure, we’re beyond an infant stage of faith and spiritual maturity. There is no question that God will entrust us with much, but we must comprehend and prepare for the reality that more from us will be required. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Entrusted with Much”, written for Sundie Morning Sistas©2022. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!