Use it or lose it

Jesus, teach me to practice what I know, so I don't lose my gifts! Amen.

"Heaven," Jesus said, "is like a man who gave his servants money. One servant got two coins and used them to earn four; another used five coins to earn ten. A third got one coin, but just buried it to keep it safe. The first two servants told the master, 'I earned twice what you gave me.' They were rewarded. But the third said, 'I buried your money so I wouldn't lose it.' The master said, 'Lazy! You didn't earn any extra.' He took the coin away and gave it to the servant with ten coins." Jesus finished, "Those who use what they have will get more, but those who don't will lose it."

Do you exercise? Whether you're into running, aerobics or football, if you don't play for a while, you'll get out of practice and won't play as well. (That goes for practicing a musical instrument, too!)

Jesus knew about the idea of "using it or losing it." In this week's Gospel (Matthew 25:14-30), He tells the story of two people who used what they were given, and one who didn't.

Why can't you play as well if you haven't practiced? You use specific muscles for different activities; if you don't run, your leg muscles don't get the same workout, so they get weaker.

There's also something called "muscle memory," meaning that your body repeats the same patterns when you work out, so you can do them almost without thinking when you've practiced.

The first two men in the Gospel story used what they were given: They invested money their master gave them to earn more. But the third man got out of practice: He didn't work on earning money, so he didn't make any. Of course, his boss was angry!

The Gospel story was about God expecting us to use our talents. If you're a runner, God hopes you'll run; if you're a piano player, practice that! Jesus was probably the first person to think of the slogan, "Use it or lose it."