A business man owns an investment company and has three employees. He is getting ready to go on a 2 year trip to start some new business ventures. To keep the company he already has going, he entrusts each employee with money based on what he thinks they are capable of overseeing. For one he gives $1.4 million, another $3 million, and his strongest employee $7 million.
2 years later, the owner returns to see how his business is running. The employee entrusted with investing $7 million now has $14 million. The owner rewards his success by adding another $7 to his accounts. The employee with $3 million now has $6 million, and is entrusted with an additional $3 million. The employee with $1.4 million put it in a brief case and did nothing with it. When asked why an investment company employee did not invest the money, the employee replyed
Matthew 25:24 “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. 25 I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’ (emphasis mine)
This story is a paraphrase of a parable Jesus often referred to as the parable of the talents. For the amount of money was called a talent.
The business owner trusted the servant because he was a good man, but the employee questioned the character of the owner. I think one of the reasons we do not experience all God has for us is we distrust God’s character and motive in our lives. Is God really setting me up for joy or keeping me from something good? Is God really good when bad things happen in my life? If I tithe, does God really bless me?
“I was afraid” really says it all. Not only did this employee doubt the goodness of the owner, but they doubted their talent. Fear so easily creeps in. It is one of the enemies first tactics against you… Fear. Some say fear is False. Evidence. Appearing. Real. Sometimes the evidence is real and there is real reason for why we could choose fear. There are 365 times in scripture God tells us not to give into fear. Why? Life and the enemy gives us plenty of reasons to fear.
Each employee had reason to fear. If they lost all the money they would loose their job. Investing has risk, and risk invokes fear. Two employees buried their fear and their ability made way to double their talents. The employee entrusted with the least buried their talent and fear won the day.
God has uniquely designed the fabric of who you are. You have a personality make up, you have gifts, resources, and many other things. You also have an enemy looking to keep you ineffective in the Kingdom of God by intimidating you with fear so you would bury your talent.
Today you will bury something: your talent or your fear… choose
Recklessly, obsessively following Jesus
Brandon Sereg
www.thevibrant.church
