Respecting Our Gifts
“From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.”
— Luke [12:48]
A BUSINESS PERSON WHO GIVES MORE THAN HE RECEIVES!
My friend Geoff has run a very successful sports training business for over twenty-five years. He was given a great opportunity at an early age to run this business, and it has grown significantly under his stewardship. Beyond that he has gained the respect of a number of elite colleges, and his students benefit from the access he provides to those schools. He was blessed with parents who gave him a secure home and allowed him to explore life. He is surrounded by numerous friends that respect him for his intelligence, compassion, and commitment. He was recently named coach of the year by the National Squash Federation.
“As a friend, we all know Geoff will answer any call, at any time of the day. He is there to help.”
While Geoff certainly manages his business with great skill, it is the other things he does that we admire. His students are not just taught a sport skill; they are taught integrity, teamwork, and respect for your opponent. He is thoughtful with the parents of his students, who in turn know he respects their children and their life goals. As a friend, we all know Geoff will answer any call, at any time of the day. He is there to help. When he was in Africa on a mission trip to aid orphans, the children instantly were attached to Geoff. On one part of a trip we filmed him biking with the kids up a steep hill. Both the children and Geoff were laughing as they made this steep climb. At home I remember a time when he spotted a homeless person and asked the person if he was okay and if he needed anything. The rest of us were wary, but Geoff was hospitable.
“Jesus asks us to push outward with our gifts and refrain from storing. He asks us, “What more can we do?”
Jesus asks us to use our gifts from God. From those who are blessed, much is expected. Jesus asks us to push outward with our gifts and refrain from storing. He asks us, “What more can we do? Who can we help?” From those of us who run a business, much more is asked, because of our blessings. We should serve because we have received. The lives we can change are sometimes clear and sometimes hidden. But we can help.
Geoff recently started an extension of an urban youth program designed to provide college access to youth who otherwise would not go to college. A few years ago it started with twenty-six students, and it has now tripled in size. These students will go on to college and far exceed the national average graduation rate.
Geoff’s life is enriched, not just because he works hard and is surrounded by a strong family and friends, but because he gives back more than he receives.
Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman
PARTING THOUGHTS
What are our blessings?
Are we inward or outward with our gifts?
Do people see us just as business-people or also as sharing people?
