Invest: Don’t Bury Your Treasure

“Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’ ” (Luke 19:20-21)

Remember the king’s instructions before he left? “Put this money to work until I come back.” This servant told the king he was so afraid of losing the money by investing it that he just wrapped it up and hid it away—rather than make the king mad by doing something stupid with it.

invest_350The failure of this approach is obvious to us. Our first reaction is, “What a doofus!” But how many people do we know who have lived their whole lives so in fear of failing that they never got around to trying anything worthwhile for God’s glory?

But fear of failure was not this servant’s biggest problem. What we learn at the end of the story is that he had a faith problem. If he had truly believed the king would return, he would have done something with that money.

If we truly believe God has given us our potential, skills, talents, and spiritual gifts to use for his glory, we won’t just sit on them. We will get out there and put them to work.

Think: Have you ever failed to take a good opportunity to do something for God because you were afraid you would fail? Does that show more lack of trust in yourself on in God? Why?

Pray: Ask God to give you the courage to attempt to do good things with the gifts he has given to you for his glory. Ask him to make you very useful to him in this life.

Do: Make a quick list of 3 things you could try to do for God’s glory in the next year.