It is one of my goals this year to be more active in being involved. Not necessarily with being involved on the ship, but embracing the culture more. Previously I would go out, but not too extremely often. Fairly regularly but not enough to embrace the culture. It's pretty hard for me when I live on a fully developed ship and motivating myself to go out and journey through the unknown parts of town. I like things that I already know and often get stuck in a rut, or as many of us call them routines.
Today as I was doing some Bible study the Law of Activity came across and I thought I would share it with you.
The Law of Activity
Many times we have problems because we lack initiative-the God-given ability to propel ourselves into life. Consider the contrast in the parable of the talents.Matthew 25.14-29
For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went awayHe who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents went and made two more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money.
Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, "Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.' His master said to him, "well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' And he also who had two talents came forward, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' He also who received the one talent came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here have what is yours.' But his master answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that i reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent form him and give it to him who has the ten talents.
For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The ones who succeeded were active and assertive. They initiated and pushed. The one who lost out was the passive and inactive. The sad thing is that many people who are passive are not inherently evil or bad people. But evil is an active force, and passivity can become an ally of evil by not pushing against it. Passivity never pays off. God will match our effort, but he will never do out work for us. That would be an invasion of our boundaries. He wants us to be assertive and active, seeking and knocking on the door of life.
Matthew 7.7-8
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
