Judgment day will be characterised by two things: rewards and regrets! Jesus highlights this in the story of three servants who were given talents to invest on behalf of their master. The first two invested well and were rewarded, while the third one buried his talent and was judged accordingly. The first two considered their options, crunched the numbers, took the plunge, and were willing to risk failure. As a result their boss said, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant’ (Matthew 25:21 NKJV).
Now, God doesn’t reward foolishness. So before you make a move, talk it over with Him (see Proverbs 3:5-6). The third servant, however, said, ‘I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground’ (Matthew 25:25 NKJV).
He made the most common and tragic mistake when it comes to giftedness: he failed to benefit his Master with his talent. Some invest their talents and give God credit, while others misuse theirs and give Him grief. Some honour Him with ‘fruit’, while others insult Him with excuses. And how does God feel about the latter? ‘Get rid of this “play-it-safe” who won’t go out on a limb’ (Matthew 25:29 MSG).
Fear is the opposite of faith, and ‘without faith it is impossible to please [God]’ (Hebrews 11:6 KJV). So this year step out in faith; God won’t let you down. Take a risk; He won’t fail you. Even if you stumble on your way to success, He encourages you to envision the day when you’ll feel His hand on your shoulder and hear the words: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!’
Gen 7-9, Matt 3
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