1558) When I was in high school, I worked at a Hallmark store, back when physical cards and such were much desired. I enjoyed working there and I remember the closer the Christmas season came, the busier our store would get.

I enjoyed the busyness. It kept me on my feet, making the hours I put in at the store seem like minutes. I was good at working under pressure and my boss noticed it. Though he said nothing to me about this noticing, he would increase my hours during the holiday time and I’m thinking my skills were part of the reason.

In consideration of work, Matthew 25:14-30 contains a parable Jesus told. As I have shown under the section Bible Study Helps in my weekly newsletters, you must handle a parable in a specific way. Here, Jesus tells of a man entrusted to three servants three different amounts of his silver. The first two used the man’s gift wisely and earned more silver for him, but the third one did not.

What’s interesting to me about this parable is that the reward the man gives his first two servants was more work. More work? Why is this a reward? This is when my mind went back to my high school job. Because I was using my gifts consistently well, it gave me more of an opportunity to use my gifts. I see this with my writing, as well.

When we use the gifts and abilities God gives us well, he blesses us with the opportunity to do more for him. God specifically celebrates this kind of extra “work.”