I have been reading through the book of Proverbs lately. Solomon had a lot to say about the value of wisdom. I can see why. There was no one wiser. I can imagine that a lot of people read his proverbs and thought. "Oh, sure. He only raves about wisdom because he has so much of it. Someone poke his ego." Well, probably not.

He sure did make some stupid decisions, didn't he?

We could say that Solomon was more capable than anyone else of making wise decisions. Why didn't he though? God gave him wisdom. Why didn't he use it?

How many of us have been given gifts by God that we set aside and waste? A great deal of my writing was a waste.  Large amounts of my creativity was siphoned into work that was for my glory, not God's. I'm pretty sure every one of you has amazing gifts from God that are not being used the way they should be. A little presumtuous? Perhaps. If anyone reading this is pouring everything that God has given them into making His name known, speak up and I'll eat crow. Lucifer was the most beautiful of God's angels. Rather than use it to give glory to God, he sought his own glory. That led to his fall.

Our fall, should we waste what God gives us, is written about. Remember the story of the three servants who are trusted with money while the master is away. Two of them invested it and returned more than they were given. The third hid his money rather than risk losing it. He was cast away in the end. Why should we think that our fate will be any difference if we do what he did?

Here's the challenge. God has blessed us all richly. How are we investing those riches? Are we investing them in God? Are we investing them in ourselves? Are we hiding them away? How often do we have the attitude that when we use our abilities to bring glory to God, that we're doing him a favor?

God is not looking for favors. Devoting everything we have to His name and His glory is nothing more than what he deserves.

If you reply to this post, I ask that you include in your reply a gift that is not being used how it should. If you don't have any, then please pray for the rest of us. God knows we need it.