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Welcome to the Daily blade. The word of God is described as the sword of the spirit, the primary spiritual weapon in the Christian's armor against the forces of evil. Your hosts are Joby Martin and Kyle Thompson, and they stand ready to equip men for the fight.
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Let's sharpen up back to Matthew chapter 25. I'm not going to read the text because we've already read it. But the five talent guy, what he does is he immediately goes and does with the property what he thinks his master would want him to do with the property. He doubles the money and then he comes to the master and he says, see here what is yours? You gave me the five talents. And I went and risk it all and I made five talents more. And then what he is going to receive from the master is he is going to receive this blessing. And the blessing is this, well done, good and faithful servant. But what I really want to pay attention to here, I guess I will read some after he says, well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little. I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master. Then the next verse, verse 22 says, and he also who had received the two talents came forward saying, Master, you delivered to me two talents. Here I have made two talents more. Now here's what I want you to see. First of all, the five talent guy and the two talent guy. They both first start with an attitude of gratitude. They don't start with look what I have done for you. What they start with, the first thing out of their mouth is look what you did for me, God master, I took what you gave me. You gave me five talents. I don't think I deserved it. I don't know what I did to earn it. You gave me two talents. I'm not sure why you chose me, but you chose me. And I took what you gave to me. And look here. And it doesn't mean like look here, it means more like here you go, I have doubled this money for you. Now I actually think one of the key heroes in this parable, in this story is the two talent guy. And the reason I say that is this, is that the two talent man spent zero time being paralyzed by the trap of comparison. Because comparison is that comparison is a trap. Comparison is a lose lose proposition. Because when we compare, the reason I call it lose lose is when we compare, then there is no positive outcome. When we compare ourselves to others, essentially it's an affront against the Almighty God. Essentially when we compare ourselves to our brother in Law, who's an idiot, but he just got that huge pay raise. What we're doing is we're putting our finger in the chest of God and saying, God, you didn't do this right. You gave him too much and you gave me not enough. It's a comparison is a lose, lose proposition. Because only one of two things can result when we compare ourselves to others, whether it's other men we work with, other families, to people that we see online. Here's the problem is that we can either be built up with pride because we compare ourselves to others and we feel, we feel too good about ourselves. We say, I'm smarter than them, I'm better looking than them, I have more money than them, I'm more successful than them, I'm a better athlete than them. And we begin to think too highly of ourselves because we compare ourselves to other people. That's called pride. And it's the greatest of all sins. It's actually the sin that got Satan kicked out of heaven. Pride. The other, the, the other side of the coin though, is sometimes we compare ourselves to other people and we get beaten down with condemnation and we think we're not enough and we don't have what it takes. And the language of condemnation is one of the primary tools of the enemy to paralyze the man of God. You see, condemnation is a building term and it means unfit for use. And you begin to look at the that guy in your Sunday school class, that guy in your disciple group, that guy from church, that guy with all the money, that guy with a beautiful family. And you think that you will never live up to what that person has. And you may not, but brother, God has not necessarily called you to live up to what that other man is doing. That God has called and created you to be the you that he came up with. That's you. And so that can lead to condemnation. And my Bible says, therefore now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. You see, the problem with comparison is that we always compare what we know about ourselves to what we don't know, to other people. We compare our B roll with somebody else's highlight reel. And the fact that we are carrying around little comparison gods in our pocket every day of our life is damning us to hell. You see, you begin to scroll through Instagram and you compare your unfiltered life to everybody else's filtered life. Trust me, that person that you see on Instagram is not their actual life. I live at the beach. I live in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. And I can't tell you the number of families that I see post pictures on Instagram and they are at the beach and the picture looks perfect. I don't know if you go to the beach much, but have you ever seen a happy family at the beach? No. Nobody's happy. The dad's just sitting his butt on the beach trying to drink a cold beer and relax. Mama's freaked out by the kids. The Yankees are feeding the seagulls and making everybody miserable. The kids have sand all over them. They're crying. But what do they do right before they leave to go get back in their car to go home? They get the family together and for one second they can get everybody to smile. And for that microsecond, their day was great. And that's the picture that they post online. Here's what I want to encourage you with. You may be a five talent guy, you may be a two talent guy. But don't miss this. Do not compare yourself to one another. Why? Because God does not compare you to one another. God gives the exact same blessing or reward to the five talent Guy and to the two talent guy. Because it was not the amount of money that those men made. It was were they faithful with what God had given them?
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The Daily Blade: Episode #11 - Joby Martin on Faithfulness and Gratitude
Released on January 15, 2025
Introduction
In Episode #11 of The Daily Blade, hosts Pastor Joby Martin of the Church of Eleven22 and Kyle Thompson of Undaunted.Life delve into the profound themes of faithfulness and gratitude through the lens of the Parable of the Talents from Matthew 25. This episode aims to equip Christians to embody these virtues in their daily lives, steering clear of common pitfalls such as comparison, pride, and condemnation.
Exploring the Parable of the Talents
Pastor Joby Martin initiates the discussion by revisiting the well-known Parable of the Talents, emphasizing the actions and attitudes of the servants entrusted with different amounts of money by their master.
“The five talent guy and the two talent guy. They both first start with an attitude of gratitude. They don't start with look what I have done for you. The first thing out of their mouth is look what you did for me, God master...” ([B:02:45])
Joby highlights that both servants, regardless of the size of their initial endowment, exhibit gratitude towards their master. This gratitude sets the foundation for their subsequent actions and the rewards they receive.
Attitude of Gratitude
A central theme in the episode is the importance of starting with gratitude. Joby contrasts the servants' responses, showing that an attitude of thankfulness is paramount, irrespective of the quantity of blessings received.
“You gave me five talents... You gave me two talents... I took what you gave me.” ([B:03:10])
This gratitude is not framed as self-accomplishment but as a recognition of the master’s generosity. It underscores the belief that all abilities and resources are gifts to be stewarded faithfully.
The Trap of Comparison
Joby delves deeper into the detrimental effects of comparison, a common struggle among believers. He explains how comparing oneself to others can lead to either an inflated sense of pride or debilitating self-condemnation, both of which are obstacles to spiritual growth.
“Comparison is that comparison is a trap. Comparison is a lose lose proposition.” ([B:04:00])
He asserts that comparison is fundamentally an affront to God, as it implicitly questions His distribution of blessings. This mindset disrupts contentment and trust in divine providence.
Impact of Comparison: Pride and Condemnation
The episode further explores the dual consequences of comparison:
Pride: When individuals compare themselves to others and perceive themselves as superior, it fosters pride—the "greatest of all sins" and the downfall of Satan.
“We say, I'm smarter than them, I'm better looking than them... And that's called pride. It's the greatest of all sins.” ([B:04:35])
Condemnation: Conversely, when comparison leads to feelings of inadequacy, individuals may fall into self-condemnation, believing they are unfit or insufficient in God's eyes.
“Condemnation is a building term and it means unfit for use... You think that you will never live up to what that person has.” ([B:05:10])
Joby emphasizes that neither pride nor condemnation aligns with the Christian doctrine of humility and acceptance in Christ.
The Illusion of Social Media and Authentic Comparison
Addressing the modern context, Joby critiques the pervasive influence of social media on self-perception. He points out that platforms like Instagram present a distorted reality—highlight reels that mask the underlying struggles.
“You begin to scroll through Instagram and you compare your unfiltered life to everybody else's filtered life.” ([B:05:45])
He illustrates this with the common scenario of seemingly perfect family beach photos, revealing that real-life moments are often chaotic and imperfect, contrary to their online portrayals.
“Nobody's happy. The dad's just sitting his butt on the beach trying to drink a cold beer and relax... They get the family together and for one second they can get everybody to smile.” ([B:06:00])
Embracing Individual Faithfulness
Concluding the episode, Joby encourages listeners to focus on their unique callings and the specific talents God has bestowed upon them, rather than succumbing to the temptation of comparison.
“God does not compare you to one another... It was not the amount of money that those men made. It was were they faithful with what God had given them.” ([B:06:15])
He reassures that whether one is the "five talent guy" or the "two talent guy," God's evaluation is based on faithfulness and stewardship, not the absolute quantity of one's achievements.
Conclusion and Encouragement
Pastor Joby Martin wraps up the episode by reinforcing the core message: cultivate an attitude of gratitude and remain faithful with the resources and gifts entrusted to you by God. By doing so, believers can avoid the pitfalls of comparison and live a life that honors their master.
“Do not compare yourself to one another. Because God does not compare you to one another.” ([B:06:15])
He invites listeners to apply these principles in their lives, ensuring that their focus remains on pleasing God rather than seeking validation through comparison.
Final Thoughts
Episode #11 of The Daily Blade offers a deep and relatable exploration of faithfulness and gratitude, anchored in biblical teachings. Pastor Joby Martin provides valuable insights into overcoming the natural human tendency to compare oneself with others, advocating for a life marked by thankfulness and faithful stewardship. This episode serves as an essential guide for Christians striving to align their daily actions with their spiritual convictions.
Join the Conversation
For those inspired by this episode, Joby Martin and Kyle Thompson invite you to join them in person at the 2025 Men's Conference in Jacksonville, Florida. Secure your seat and continue the journey of faith and growth at mensconference.com.
Thank you for engaging with The Daily Blade. Share this episode with others, leave a five-star rating, and help equip more men for the spiritual fight.