the TALENT of TROUBLE

It is true that God doesn't trust everyone with the same "amount" of things-- such as talents or various treasures (resources). However, I am convinced that He does trust us all with the same amount of time. (A second, a minute, and a 24-hour day are the same in New Jersey as they are in New Guinea).And when I talk about time, I’m not talking about the amount of days we receive on this earth. But I am talking about the concept of "how each of us uses our time." So I self-reflect:  How am I using my time for God's glory?I think of the apostle Paul in prison. Instead of pouting, he began writing letters to the churches. What he didn’t know was that those letters would become spirit-filled lessons for the ages. Neither his environment, hardship, nor circumstances made a difference on how he used his time—he just always sought to glorify God with his time.Along with time, I also believe God entrusts each of us with a measure of trouble. That's right, trouble. And what we do with said trouble determines whether or not we truly trust God. You see, it's easy to trust Him when everything is going well. But how about when all hell breaks loose! Let's consider Job in the Bible.Job wasn’t sinless, just blameless. He walked in his integrity and that was his security. You see, he was secure—not from the devil's external attacks that he suffered—but he was secure by his own internal resilience that allowed for him to suffer successfully through the attacks. Does that make sense? Let me say it like this--our spiritual and emotional security is linked to our integrity.Yes, trouble touched him, but the trouble did not take him. Job took the trouble and turned it into triumph by his response to the trouble; not by what he knew intellectually--but how he responded to it faithfully. He may have asked "why" and struggled with uncertainty, but he never turned on God regardless of the level of adversity (In Job chapter 42 verses 7-8, the Lord testified that Job spoke of Him accurately).I say all of that to say this: when God trusts us with the talent of trouble, it's because He wants to make us profitable--more fruitful and faithful. Don’t be fooled however if you have found yourself with no problems, because the absence of trouble doesn’t always mean blessing.  Most of the time, the absence of trouble means that you are not worthy of the testing. The devil doesn’t mess with those who are no threat. Nor does God test our present unless He’s preparing us for something greater in the future.So whether it's talents, treasures, time, or trouble--how are you using them to glorify God?