Faithful With or Taken Away

God continues to teach me even in passages that seem the same. This morning I am reading in Luke 19, “The parable of the Ten Minas”. When reading I read a similar message to that of the talents. Master entrusts to servant and servant either grows that entrusted or not and then is deemed faithful for doing so or not.

This is a great message to demonstrate the need for me to take that which is given and work to grow it for the glory of God. It does not necessarily mean the monetary growth or that which is entrusted, but more of all that is entrusted. What I missed in the other messages was that which is not used and grown will eventually be taken away. And that which is taken away will be distributed to those that are doing the work to grow the glory of God.

“’²³Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’²⁴And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’” — Luke 19:24 (ESV)

Here we see the master taking away from the servant that simply held onto that which was entrusted as nothing was done to grow it at all, not even placing in the bank to add a bit of interest. This servant did nothing and for his trouble what was entrusted was taken from him and given to one that had demonstrated the work to grow.

I have to remember that when entrusted with something, it is my duty to work to grow it. I have to “use it or lose it” is an often stated saying. No, there is no guarantee that when working to use that which is entrusted growth will occur. However there is a guarantee that if not used, there will be no growth at all. I have to be faithful with my gifts and use them for the glory of God. I have to know that when I am using those gifts, God will multiply the reward for using them. I may not get to see that reward or the fruit that comes from my faithful use of the gifts, but I know there will be and that is fruitful enough for me.

What gifts have you been entrusted? Are you using them with the idea of “use it or lose it”? What if you were to just faithfully execute with the gifts given, knowing that the glory of God will shine and the fruit will come?