Scripture:
“After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’
The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’
The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’
But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’
Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’.” Matthew 25:19-30 (NLT)
Perspective:
Jesus told the people a parable of a master who divided talents among three servants. The first two servants went out and doubled their original investment. However, the third servant didn’t want to mess up what he had been given, so he went out and dug a hole to bury the talent. When the master came back to settle accounts, he didn’t respond the same way to all three servants. The first two servants were celebrated for their diligence. However, the master was not impressed by the third servant’s response. Matthew 25:26 in the Message version says, “The master was furious. ‘That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest.” The master wished that the third servant had at least done something with what he had been given. It didn’t even have to be much. But since he chose to live cautiously instead of courageously, the little he had was taken from him.
I wonder how many of us are living cautiously with what God has given us. It seems best to play it safe when we place so much emphasis on outcomes. A cautious life is not a committed life; it’s a careful life. When faith is deduced to safety and security, we have missed the point of the Gospel all together. God is calling us to take what He has given us today and to do something with it. We don’t get to choose how and what God gives each person. God may have gifted you with the ability to organize events, lead people, sing in front of thousands, or care for children. You have the responsibility to cultivate whatever He has implanted inside of you. We can be like the last servant and be too scared, uncertain, or lazy to put ourselves to work by cultivating the ground in which we have been planted. We don’t know all the details of this parable, but we also don’t know how many times the first or second servant failed in their efforts to multiply what they had been given. The cumulative effort far exceeded the ups and downs that are inevitable in life. In looking back at the third servant, what would the master’s response have been if the third servant had worked very hard and still had only the first talent? We like to look at the outcomes, but God is much more concerned with our hearts. A cautious life is not a courageous life, and God has entrusted you with too much to sit around and wait for someone else to do what He has asked you to do.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
[separator_small separator_width=” thickness=” up=” down=”]
About Hona Amer
I help people live life to the fullest. Check out my book, Smart Work U. Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. In order to receive updates, subscribe below.
[separator_small separator_width=” thickness=” up=” down=”]
Discover how to start a business + lead your life + create a life you love. Don't miss a post!:
