learning to balance...

I've recently decided on a metaphor for our walk with God.  As I continually strive to be a good steward of the things that God blesses me with, I fight the struggle against the pull of the world and my lack of self-control.  God continues to meet all my needs and beyond.  His faithfulness never waivers.  I find that when I am more faithful with His gifts, He gives me more blessings and thus, more responsibility.  When I fail, it usually results in a season of striving and anxiety. 

I compare this walk with teaching a child to ride a bike.  When they first ride a bike, they have training wheels which keep the bike upright.  When the training wheels are removed, the parent follows the bike, holding it up until the child learns to balance it on their own.  Our walk with God can be like that.  We have training wheels on for the first part of our spiritual walk.  They set the boundaries and limits and help keep our "bike" upright.  As we grow, at some point, hopefully we can "take off the training wheels".  I'm finding that when we take off without our training wheels on our walk of life with God, He gives us room to grow and when we fall, He holds us back up again.  I can't tell you how many times in my life God has had to pick me back up and re-teach me lessons that I should have learned the first time.  Thank you, God, for second chances.

May I spend my life trying to find the balance to keep my "bike" upright and in doing so, be His faithful steward!

Matthew 25:14-29

Parable of the Talents

 ¹⁴"^(K)For it is just like a man ^(L)about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them.  ¹⁵"To one he gave five ^(M)talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he ^(N)went on his journey.
 ¹⁶"Immediately the one who had received the five ^(O)talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents.
 ¹⁷"In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more.
 ¹⁸"But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
 ¹⁹"Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and ^(P)settled accounts with them.
 ²⁰"The one who had received the five ^(Q)talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, 'Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.'
 ²¹"His master said to him, 'Well done, good and ^(R)faithful slave You were faithful with a few things, I will ^(S)put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'
 ²²"Also the one who had received the two ^(T)talents came up and said, 'Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.'
 ²³"His master said to him, 'Well done, good and ^(U)faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'
 ²⁴"And the one also who had received the one ^(V)talent came up and said, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed.
 ²⁵'And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.'
 ²⁶"But his master answered and said to him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed.
 ²⁷'Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.
 ²⁸'Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.'
 ²⁹"^(W)For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.