A Smart Investment

By Denise Trio

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ His 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. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ His 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. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”—Matthew 25:14–30 (NIV)

I’m not an investment banker, but I love a deal. So, it makes sense that if I could invest in something that gave me a 100% return on my investment, I would invest! This passage of Scripture is not quite the financial advice we all desire, but a lesson on effectively using what we have been given. This is called stewardship.

First of all, it should be noted that these three servants were given something they didn’t earn, work for, or deserve. They were each given money and asked to keep it safe while the owner traveled. Essentially, they were asked to be good stewards.

Secondly, they were each given an amount of money equal to their ability. We don’t know their ability, gifts, age, hourly wage, family of origin, names, or any other distinguishing features. That’s not important. Individually, they were given the fullest amount of money they could handle, which means they were known by the man who owned the money.

Thirdly, there is no judgment about what each one was given. However, there is judgment on how it was used. The first two made 100% more of what they were given. They did something. They took risks. Their work was rewarded. They were invited to receive joy and rest with their master. The last one did nothing. He made excuses. He blamed the owner. He rationalized his inaction. He kept the money safe and gave back all that was given to him, but was cursed for his laziness and wickedness.

So, what do we learn from this? Everything is the Lord’s. He is the ultimate owner and master, who knows us, gives us unique and individual gifts, and wants us to share in His work and experience joy. It doesn’t matter what or how much He gives to each of us, He wants us to use it well. There is harsh judgment if we don’t. As the New Living Translation says, ”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“ (Matthew 25:29).

Before you try to work yourself into the blessing and reward, I will relieve you of that pressure. To partner with God in the stewardship of the work He’s doing, all you need to do is say, “Yes!” He will give you His Holy Spirit to empower you to accomplish His work and His will. He is the Owner, the Master, and is ultimately responsible for the results. Your responsibility is a willingness to do something, even if it’s a simple “yes.” This will unlock a blessing. As Charles Spurgeon says, “This is not the servant’s portion, but the Master’s portion shared with his faithful servants . . . not so much that we shall have a joy of our own as that we shall enter into the joy of our Lord.”

Pause: Take an inventory of your life. What do you have? Health? A great job? Wonderful friends? An amazing family? A roof over your head? We’ve all been given something. Thank God for the gifts He’s given you!

Practice: Look for opportunities to be generous with what you’ve been given this week.

Pray: God, thank You so much for Your generosity. Thank You for all the gifts You’ve given me (list them here). I know everything is Yours, and I’m incredibly blessed. I want to be a good steward of everything. I want to experience Your joy. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit to empower me, equip me, and guide me in the work You’re doing. Amen.