Lee Eclov is a retired Pastor who still preaches, teaches, and writes. His many books, articles, blog posts, and related material are all designed to encourage young preachers.
In the lead up to Memorial Day, he recently penned a blog post titled 'Homo Unius Libri', in which he encourages Pastors to give all they have to give. As a part of that post, he shares the following insightful tidbit of information:
During the Civil War, most soldiers were issued single-shot, muzzle-loading rifles. After the Battle of Gettysburg, at least 27,574 guns were recovered from the battlefield, their owners having fled or died. Incredibly, 24,000 were still loaded! And half of those had been loaded more than once, one shot jammed on top of another, without being fired! One poor guy had apparently loaded his gun twenty-three times without ever actually shooting!
Dr. Eclov’s point is that, just as soldiers were put on the field of battle for a purpose, so were we all put here on earth for a specific purpose. Most of us find it disconcerting to learn that 24,000 plus guns were taken into battle by soldiers but never discharged.
In like manner, however, we must also realize that God has uniquely outfitted each of us with a certain set of spiritual gifts, designed to be put to use in the titanic struggle between good and evil in this world. When we fail to employ these gifts, it is the same thing as if we chose not to engage.
And surely, few things can be as heartrending as coming to the end of one’s life with the knowledge that he or she decided to play it safe and never engage. In such a case, it is the same thing as if a person simply took his or her talent and buried it in the back yard.
I employ this analogy because of the story that Jesus told us in the New Testament Gospel of Matthew (chapter 25, verse 14-30):
14For it is just like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them with his possessions. 15To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent—each according to his own ability. And he went on his journey.
16The servant who had received the five talents went at once and put them to work and gained five more. 17Likewise, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18But the servant who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.
19After a long time the master of those servants returned to settle accounts with them. 20The servant who had received the five talents came and presented five more. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’
21His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’
22The servant who had received the two talents also came and said, ‘Master, you entrusted me with two talents. See, I have gained two more.’
23His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’
24Finally, the servant who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what belongs to you.’
26‘You wicked, lazy servant!’ replied his master. ‘You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received it back with interest.
28Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents. 29For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 30And throw that worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
If anyone had the right to make such an assertion, surely it was Jesus Christ. When He came to the end of the battle, He had fully expended himself. Thus, the Bible tells us in Philippians 2:7 that He “emptied Himself”.
The words to Gloria Gaither’s hymn, “Broken and Spilled Out”, come to mind here:
One day a plain village woman
Driven by love for her Lord
Recklessly poured out a valuable essence
Disregarding the scorn
And once it was broken and spilled out
A fragrance filled all the room
Like a pris'ner released from his shackles
Like a spirit set free from the tomb
Broken and spilled out
Just for love of you Jesus
My most precious treasure
Lavished on Thee
Broken and spilled out
And poured at Your feet
In sweet abandon
Let me be spilled out
And used up for Thee
Lord You were God's precious treasure
His loved and His own perfect Son
Sent here to show me the love of the Father
Just for love it was done
And though You were perfect and holy
You gave up Yourself willingly
You spared no expense for my pardon
You were used up and wasted for me
Broken and spilled out
Just for love of me Jesus
God's most precious treasure
Lavished on me
You were broken and spilled out
And poured at my feet
In sweet abandon Lord
You were spilled out
And used up for Me
In sweet abandon
let me be spilled out
And used up for Thee
Amen!
On a personal note, my recent unexpected trip to the emergency room for unanticipated surgery has reminded me that I still have lots to do in life. I still have much within me to spill out for the glory of God and the betterment of my fellow man. To play on Dr. Eclov’s analogy, I still have plenty of ammo that needs expending. And when my time on the field of battle is over, I hope I have nothing left in my chamber.
I covet your prayers as I seek to use my God-given talents to glorify my Heavenly Father. Rest assured that I pray the same for you.
STORY SOURCES:
Lee Eclov’s website can be found here:
www.leeeclov.com.
The specific blog post referenced above is posted here:
https://www.leeeclov.com/homo-unius-libri/.
LYRICS SOURCE:
https://hymnary.org/text/broken_and_spilled_out.
SCRIPTURE SOURCES:
https://biblehub.com/bsb/matthew/25.htm;
https://biblehub.com/philippians/2-7.htm.
In the lead up to Memorial Day, he recently penned a blog post titled 'Homo Unius Libri', in which he encourages Pastors to give all they have to give. As a part of that post, he shares the following insightful tidbit of information:
During the Civil War, most soldiers were issued single-shot, muzzle-loading rifles. After the Battle of Gettysburg, at least 27,574 guns were recovered from the battlefield, their owners having fled or died. Incredibly, 24,000 were still loaded! And half of those had been loaded more than once, one shot jammed on top of another, without being fired! One poor guy had apparently loaded his gun twenty-three times without ever actually shooting!
Dr. Eclov’s point is that, just as soldiers were put on the field of battle for a purpose, so were we all put here on earth for a specific purpose. Most of us find it disconcerting to learn that 24,000 plus guns were taken into battle by soldiers but never discharged.
In like manner, however, we must also realize that God has uniquely outfitted each of us with a certain set of spiritual gifts, designed to be put to use in the titanic struggle between good and evil in this world. When we fail to employ these gifts, it is the same thing as if we chose not to engage.
And surely, few things can be as heartrending as coming to the end of one’s life with the knowledge that he or she decided to play it safe and never engage. In such a case, it is the same thing as if a person simply took his or her talent and buried it in the back yard.
I employ this analogy because of the story that Jesus told us in the New Testament Gospel of Matthew (chapter 25, verse 14-30):
14For it is just like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them with his possessions. 15To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent—each according to his own ability. And he went on his journey.
16The servant who had received the five talents went at once and put them to work and gained five more. 17Likewise, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18But the servant who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.
19After a long time the master of those servants returned to settle accounts with them. 20The servant who had received the five talents came and presented five more. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’
21His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’
22The servant who had received the two talents also came and said, ‘Master, you entrusted me with two talents. See, I have gained two more.’
23His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’
24Finally, the servant who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what belongs to you.’
26‘You wicked, lazy servant!’ replied his master. ‘You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received it back with interest.
28Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents. 29For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 30And throw that worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
If anyone had the right to make such an assertion, surely it was Jesus Christ. When He came to the end of the battle, He had fully expended himself. Thus, the Bible tells us in Philippians 2:7 that He “emptied Himself”.
The words to Gloria Gaither’s hymn, “Broken and Spilled Out”, come to mind here:
One day a plain village woman
Driven by love for her Lord
Recklessly poured out a valuable essence
Disregarding the scorn
And once it was broken and spilled out
A fragrance filled all the room
Like a pris'ner released from his shackles
Like a spirit set free from the tomb
Broken and spilled out
Just for love of you Jesus
My most precious treasure
Lavished on Thee
Broken and spilled out
And poured at Your feet
In sweet abandon
Let me be spilled out
And used up for Thee
Lord You were God's precious treasure
His loved and His own perfect Son
Sent here to show me the love of the Father
Just for love it was done
And though You were perfect and holy
You gave up Yourself willingly
You spared no expense for my pardon
You were used up and wasted for me
Broken and spilled out
Just for love of me Jesus
God's most precious treasure
Lavished on me
You were broken and spilled out
And poured at my feet
In sweet abandon Lord
You were spilled out
And used up for Me
In sweet abandon
let me be spilled out
And used up for Thee
Amen!
On a personal note, my recent unexpected trip to the emergency room for unanticipated surgery has reminded me that I still have lots to do in life. I still have much within me to spill out for the glory of God and the betterment of my fellow man. To play on Dr. Eclov’s analogy, I still have plenty of ammo that needs expending. And when my time on the field of battle is over, I hope I have nothing left in my chamber.
I covet your prayers as I seek to use my God-given talents to glorify my Heavenly Father. Rest assured that I pray the same for you.
STORY SOURCES:
Lee Eclov’s website can be found here:
www.leeeclov.com.
The specific blog post referenced above is posted here:
https://www.leeeclov.com/homo-unius-libri/.
LYRICS SOURCE:
https://hymnary.org/text/broken_and_spilled_out.
SCRIPTURE SOURCES:
https://biblehub.com/bsb/matthew/25.htm;
https://biblehub.com/philippians/2-7.htm.