INVEST WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN
To be a good steward we must not waste what has been given to us. We must invest what has been given to us and must show a return for it.
Matthew 25:14-22 - "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. "So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.' His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' Mat 25:22 He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.' His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' "Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.' "But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 'For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
This is an extraordinary lesson that Jesus gave and He did this to show us exactly how the Kingdom of God operates financially.
Jesus goes into quite some detail in this passage of Scripture because He wants us to understand what is expected from us financially without any ambiguity.
I believe whatever we do with our finances should mirror of this account given by Jesus and we should make absolutely sure that we comply with these principles.
According to our ability
We are given resources according to our individual abilities. We are all different. It is a fact that some people are more talented than others. However, we are responsible for those things God has given us.
In this passage of Scripture, each individual was not given spiritual things, but physical things like money, that they had to work with. When God gives us money, we have to take responsibility for it and invest it and produce a return on what He has given to us.
We are given time
The Bible tells us that each person was given a long time in order to conduct business. God gave them ample time and therefore those who did not perform had no excuse.
Things of value take years and years to build.
Time is a valuable resource. Many people waste their time with things that do not glorify God and when they are old, it is too late to start accumulating Godly equity because they do not have many years left.
Things of value take years and years to build. Good Godly relationships take a long time to cultivate. Building financial worth takes years and years. Success does not occur overnight.
To be a good steward, you must use your time here on earth to build equity and invest in every area of your life.
Invest in your talents and gifts. Make them available and find ways of improving by studying.
If you can, invest in your children because they are the future and they will fulfill your prophetic destiny.
Invest in your finances. Invest in your physical body. Look after your body. Work on your marriage. If you want a good return, invest in God’s Kingdom. Successful organizations are in all likelihood profitable because they implement Kingdom principles.
Get going
In this passage of Scripture, two of the three individuals started trading with what they had been given. They started wheeling and dealing. There is nothing wrong with that.
Sadly, the third individual made no effort to invest what he had been given and instead, buried it. He placed what God had given him in the wrong soil and that is why it did not grow.
The main reason why people set up businesses is to make money. Most businesses will strive to be successful. I have never heard organizations state that their goal is to fail in their mission by making a loss. We need to have that same mind-set when it comes to our drive to succeed in our Christian walk. That should be part of our plan.
Any organization should experience growth and increase in influence and market share. That is how we should see the church. Not every church should necessary become a mega church, but every church should grow.
Any church or any Christian organization should have a purpose and that is to reach the lost for Jesus and to impact the lives of people.
Every church should strive toward success, experience growth, should increase in profit, and should increase in its influence.
Most organizations have a mission statement. We should have as our mission statement a faith statement.
Being a good steward involves finances. Any organization that does not look after its finances will fail.
Be accountable
Each and every person on earth today should be accountable to someone. That is the way we were created and that is how God’s Kingdom is designed to work. We are ultimately accountable to God.
People who are not accountable usually cause trouble or find themselves in trouble.
Make a profit
God expects profit. That means God has an expectation of receiving more than what He has given us initially. God expects us to take what He has given us and make a profit.
We must spend money on things that increase in value. That is the way the Kingdom operates and God will bless us based on our profitability. Notice that the master blessed the profitable servants at their levels of profitability.
The most profitable was blessed the most. The moderately profitable was moderately blessed. In similar fashion, God will bless us in proportion to our profitability.
Punishment
God will punish lack of profit. The individual in our passage of Scripture had his money taken from him and he was severely punished. God is a merciful God, but at some point, justice requires that sin is dealt with.
We should learn to apply these financial stewardship principles so that we can be profitable and blessed, instead of being unprofitable and punished.
It is a sin not to use the talents and gifts that God has given to us. Our gifts are on loan from God. They are to be used to build God’s Kingdom.
God wants a return on His investment and stewardship is the way God gets such a return. It is not simply giving things away or keeping them safely in trust, but wisely investing them in contexts in which they will do some good and multiply.
MAKE A CHOICE
The difference between God’s Kingdom and worldly kingdoms is that God’s Kingdom is everlasting. Organizations will come and go, but God’s Kingdom will remain forever.
Choose to invest your time and talents in God’s Kingdom and be a good steward of everything He has entrusted to you. Do not waste your time building the kingdoms of this world.
God wants you to have position. Do everything as if you are doing it unto the Lord and when you are faithful, God will promote you.
Luke 16:10 - He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.
We come into this world with nothing and we leave with nothing. Our reward is everlasting life.
