Blessing Gifts: If Not Lively Are Deadly

Common Sense Commentary: And unto one person the LORD gave five talents, to another two and to another one, to each one according to his ability and went away and said I will come again in a day of reckoning ... cultivate and invest your talents til I return. Paraphraised

I speak of six external, fleshly blessings which our Creator has assigned, in varying degrees, among we human creatures.  They are Beauty, Wealth, Fame, Power, Personality, and Talent. Some of us seem to have them all and some of us seem to have none; but everyone has one or several.  But far more important than which or how many Blessing Gifts you have, is, have you cultivated yours, and how you use them for good or bad.  Not to use them for good is automatically using them for bad.  It's something like salvation.  If you do not accept it, you reject it.

Let me also mention six internal, spiritual blessings which also come from God but are more important than the external, fleshly ones, which are temporal. These six bring joy and eternal life with them but no possible negatives like the external, fleshly ones.  They are Truth, Repentance, Faith, Forgiveness, Holiness and Love which we will not deal with today.

I will first refer to the external, fleshly,blessing gift which I consider to be  least important.

BEAUTY is the most shallow, only skin deep, but is coveted to the extreme.  It attracts the wealthy, famous and powerful as well as just about every other human being. But those who desire it, pursue it to satisfy their own lust. Beauty is both bought and sold.
Within itself, beauty has no redeeming qualities such as wisdom, talent, work ethic, love, faith, hope or charity.  It comes free with the "birth package" like a nose or ear. No credit whatever to it's possessor... except grooming it ... which can also be a negative obsession.  Jesus put no emphasis on it and himself appeared to be a "common man". "He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him." Isa.53:2.

WEALTH buys spare time, beauty, talent, power and friends who have a love of money.  It also attracts con-artists, thieves and moochers.  Wealth is the only one of the six external or internal blessings which can be stolen from you or taxed away. It is the only one that is external, physical substance and the only one which can buy the other five. "...Remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth...." Deut.8:18. also 2Tim.6:10 "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." ITim.6:10.  Notice that it is "the love of money", not money itself which is the root of all evil.  Also, "coveting money" is not the same as having it.  I know some poor folks who covet it more than others I know who simply use it as a convenient tool but do not love it and are generous with it.

FAME is LAME - It is the most fragile blessing of the six external, fleshly ones. It sometimes withers under the hot spotlight of adoration and examination or time, and sometimes it morphs into infamy.  It is ironic how quickly public adoration can turn
into hate or disrespect and ridicule.  It is also strange that almost everybody seemingly want to see the famous found wanting and dethroned.  To be like the rest of us, I suppose. Fame attracts lies, accusations, exposure, and disgrace like a light attracts bugs. Both Jesus and Barabbas were famous.  Jesus for his healings, miracles and moral standards and Barabbas for his insurrection, terrorism, and hate.  Yet the mass of people voted for the release of the guilty Barabbas, and for the execution of the innocent Jesus.  Isn't much different today. "And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas." Matt.27:16.

POWER corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. External, fleshly power attracts and pursues all of its physical companions, wealth, fame, beauty, personality and more power.  Sixty years in the ministry convinces me, beyond any doubt, that power, in whatever form, vocation or office, corrupts those who have it.  Not every single one but the vast majority.  It is true in Politics and Religion, in movie and athletic idols, in corporate chief and garbage collectors.  Every body knows it is true in politics but let me speak of what I know best, Religion.  Though most ministers would not admit it, great power corrupts many of the most well known.  Again, not every single one but the majority, who may have begun in humility but gained acclaim and fame and came to power .... misused it and abused it ... exposed or not.  That is even more true with politicians.  Even the best of them who had good intentions, gradually grew so concerned with re-election and a thousand perks, power, wealth and fame, that they betrayed the trust of those who elected them. "Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?" Job.21:7.  David testified, "I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.  Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not...." Psm.37:35.

PERSONALITY is a blessing which both the best and the most evil people may possess.  It can be used to entertain, convince, sell, lead or mislead others.  Again, whether it is a blessing or a curse depends on how it is used ... for good or evil.  If it is misused, it can cause enormous harm to those attracted to it.  Hitler, Mussolini, Castro and even Charlie Manson used it to great harm to themselves and to many or millions of others ... especially to their own people and more especially to those who followed them. Many politicians, preachers, comedians, actors and other people have this coveted blessing gift.  Some for good but many for bad.

TALENT  and basic elements of IQ are mostly an inborn part of the birth package also. They must both, however, be cultivated and educated to be of great use. Aptitude alone is not enough.  The greatest athletes, artists, musicians and so on, who ever lived were probably never known as such, simply because of laziness, neglect, disinterest or bad parenting.  I have known many exceedingly talented and quick minded students and young athletes who never invested the time, study and practice required to bring out this ability.  Only the preparation, study, practice, training and the use of this blessing gift gives credit to the possessor of it. The seed and root were from God. The misuse of it, like all the rest, is deadly.

"For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them another five talents.  And likewise he that had received two, he also gained another two.  But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lords money.  After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoned with them.... Then he which had received one talent,
came and said, LORD.... I was afraid and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there, thou hast that which is thine.  His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant.... Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers and then I should have received mine own with interest.... Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness ...." Matt.25:14-30.  Deadly misuse/abuse.