Talent On Loan From God: Giving Thanks For Rush Limbaugh
Noonday radio will never be the same again. We grieve at the loss of the best friend that the majority of us have never met. However, we also rejoice because we know that Rush has gone home to be with the Lord.
To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more.
17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more.
18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, “Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.”
21 His master said to him, “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.”
Matthew 25:14-21
Prayer
Heavenly Father and Almighty God,
This is a bittersweet time indeed.
On the one hand, we come before you with heavy hearts at the loss of the best friend most of us have never met. Someone we invited into our thoughts, hearts, homes, cars, and prayers 5 days a week from 11-2 has been called home.
Such a great void is left.
On the other hand, we thank and praise You for the great void that Rush Limbaugh filled during his earthly sojourn—America’s Anchorman, Limbaugh Institute of Conservative Studies professor (where no one graduates because we are always learning), the Big Voice on the Right, and the greatest proponent ever of American Excellence.
Therefore, we praise You Father for the gift, quick wit, and intellect that You gave to Rush, as all good gifts are from You. And we celebrate Your servant, Rush Limbaugh, and the talent he had on loan from You, the talent he invested in America, its Founding principles, and her citizens.
When we think about it, we stand amazed that such a great void was miraculously and perfectly filled, a late 1980’s void that no human knew existed, and one that has been filled to overflowing never to be empty again. Though Rush is not present with us today, he remains present in our principles, values, convictions, and hopes for the future.
Father, we thank You for Rush’s witness to Your goodness and grace. His continued expression during this last year, “I thanked God when I woke up this morning. I’ve been given another day to live,” reminds us to take nothing for granted. May we also be thankful for each day as the Divine gift that it is. A day that the Lord has made, to be lived, and used to its fullest for Your glory.
Through Rush’s encouragement to callers, readers, and listeners, he lives on. He paved the way for so many to do what was in their heart to do. No doubt God, talents they may have buried otherwise. But through Your servant’s own faith and example, they were enabled to see Your amazing grace and claim it as they own.
Therefore, the man at the golden microphone, the man with talent on loan from God, lives on in the changed lives of millions of people, the numbers we will never know. May many more be raised up through the tremendous legacy that Rush has left behind.
As an expert wordsmith, Rush crafted the double entendre of “talent” and constantly forced us to understand that Jesus didn’t have silver spoons in mind when handing out gifts for serving the Kingdom. But that God uses people in various ways to serve His Kingdom purposes if only we put those talents to use, believe they were put there for a purpose, and joyfully do what one is born to do.
In Jesus’ parable, Rush was no doubt a servant who received 5 talents, according to his ability. Such a humble person would have never claimed this for himself, but anyone listening or watching knew it to be fact.
“With half of his brains tied behind his back, just to make it fair,” Rush took those five talents and went at once and traded with them. When Rush talked about dropping out of college, he would say he “didn’t have time to sit in a class all day.” Based on his gut instinct and urgency to trade talents as primary over attending college, he gave others permission to do the same. And he also provided them hope and confidence to reach their dreams.
And Rush made five talents more. Over and over again.
Oh Father, what if we all served with such heart, humility, urgency, passion, priority, reckless abandon?
Is this not the point of Jesus’ parable?
Therefore, we thank You for this person, this man, this husband, brother, son, uncle, friend, and yes, radio host. Thank You Heavenly Father for providing us such a wonderful friend, role model, teacher, encourager, and Mayor of Realville.
We thank You for the lives changed, inspired, challenged, encouraged, and lifted up, those through whom his legacy will live on.
And though our beloved host behind the golden microphone is no longer on this earth, we are assured that Rush Limbaugh walks on golden pavements as he lives on with You.
He has returned the talent on loan from you along with the “more” he made. And Father, our hearts are overflowing with joy knowing that Rush has heard You say, “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.”
In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen
Classic Rush. Completely honest answer, plenty of snark, and forever in awe at the left’s inability to laugh.
Three Of The Many Things PAGA Will Miss About Rush
So much has been and can be said about the Doctor of Democracy, Rush Limbaugh. PAGA wholeheartedly agrees with sentiments expressed from colleagues, friends, and listeners.
Of course, PAGA will miss the adroit political analyses, wit, calling out leftist hypocrisy before anyone else, and much more.
Nonetheless, three things stand out that we will truly miss about Rush.
1) He consistently encouraged the dreams of all people by advising them to: a) never give up, b) quit listening to naysayers, and c) know they live in a great country that provides the opportunity for all people to achieve their dreams.
Rush’s consistent advice was given multiple times in multiple ways over 31 years. But it’s core tenets never changed. On one particular show a young man called in to ask Rush’s advice about how to succeed. Thanks to this caller, the transcript is an EIB primer on good success in life and includes many of Limbaugh’s core tenets for a life well-lived. Here’s a snippet.
Caller: Great talk to those young people, even if it was only eight minutes, a lot of great advice to the greatness of the country. Do you have any advice for them and all of us on success? I remember a couple years back you said very few in the radio business ask you about being a success in that business. I was astounded. I’d proudly ask you for advice for success, not necessarily in the radio business, but in life and taking advantage of our great country as this year approaches and I’m sure many young people would like to hear your advice as well.
Rush: I think if there’s one thing about successful people that they all have in common is that they love it. Whatever it is, it’s their passion. It’s their number one passion. It’s the thing they love the most.
Unfortunately for a lot of people the thing they love the most is their hobby. Something they don’t get paid for. But the next thing to do is to realize that you live in a place with boundless opportunity. Don’t listen to the noise. Don’t listen to the pessimists. Do not seek advice from people who failed at what you want to do. ‘Cause they’re everywhere. And they don’t want to be alone.
2) So many callers “made it through” to tell heart-touching and awe-inspiring stories of how Rush literally changed their lives. These stories featured good and decent people, David and Goliath type stories, and stories of real hope. They brought tears, laughter, joy, and/or amazement.
One of the most riveting is from a young man who said that listening to Rush while in prison turned his life around.
3) In his final year on the EIB Network Rush continually lifted up praise to God, “Every a.m. I wake up and thank God that I did.” He gave testimony to his faith in Jesus Christ. And at least 90 percent of callers would begin by saying “you’re in my prayers; my family and I pray for you every day; my church is praying you.” Rush always said something like, “Thank you, I feel your prayers, I appreciate them more than you know,” etc.
Not many people who get such a diagnosis continue doing what they were born to do. But like everything else in his life, Rush beat the odds. The best friend that people had never met, literally millions of them, were all praying for him. No doubt, God heard.
October 19, 2020 – Rush’s health update:
You know, I wake up every day and thank God that I did. I go to bed every night praying I’m gonna wake up. I don’t know how many of you do that, those of you who are not sick, those of you who are not facing something like I and countless other millions are. But it’s a blessing when you wake up. It’s a stop-everything-and-thank-God moment.
And every day, thus, results in me feeling more and more blessed. Hearing from you, knowing that you’re out there praying and everything else you’re doing, that is a blessing. It’s just a series of blessings. And I am grateful to be able to come here to the studio, tell you about it, and really maintain as much normalcy as I can.
I know a lot of you out there are going through your own challenges, whether it’s cancer or another medical illness or some other life challenge. Maybe even in the hospital right now. Someone told me — I think this is good advice, may be helpful — the only thing that any of us are certain of is right now, today. That’s why I thank God every morning when I wake up.
I thank God that I did. I try to make it the best day I can no matter what. I don’t look too far ahead. I certainly don’t look too far back. I try to remain committed to the idea what’s supposed to happen, will happen when it’s meant to. I mentioned at the outset of this — the first day I told you — that I have personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
It is of immense value, strength, confidence, and that’s why I’m able to remain fully committed to the idea that what is supposed to happen will happen when it’s meant to. There’s some comfort in knowing that some things are not in our hands. There’s a lot of fear associated with that, too, but there is some comfort. It’s helpful… God, is it helpful. It’s helpful to be able to trust and to believe in a higher plan.
November 3, 2020 – Rush’s appearance on Fox and Friends answering a question from one of the hosts:
In my case, I’m grateful that I have been able to make it to Election Day. I’m grateful that I am still able to do my radio show. I’m grateful that I am still able to have meaningful conversations, relationships with my family. I’m grateful for everything that happened. There’s so much to be thankful for, especially when right in front of you is the prospect of it being taken away.
Yeah, and I actually believe… You mentioned God. God is a profound factor. Jesus Christ is a profound factor. I have a personal relationship. I’ve not talked about it much publicly because I don’t proselytize these things. But, yeah. I just try to give thanks every day for all of the blessings. I have had a blessed life. I have had so many great friends — and still do — that it’s been nothing negative for me.
There’s nothing — nothing — that I have deep regrets about because I’ve been too blessed.
