Use Your Gifts - The Faithful Servant

“The servant to whom [the master] had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’”

Matthew 25:20

You pay an investment broker to invest your hard-earned money and earn you more money. A good investment broker takes factors such as the amount of money you entrust to him and the amount of time you want to wait before getting some returns into account.

When you entrust your money to an investment broker, you don’t just give it to him; you leave it in his care so that he will take wise steps to increase your wealth. You hire him as a steward of your money.

The Bible explains the importance of good stewardship and contains at least one story of a servant who took his role as a steward very seriously.

This servant’s master entrusted him with five bags of silver, then left on a long trip, confident that his servant would use his abilities to maximize his profits (see Matthew 25:14-15). The servant didn’t wait around but immediately invested the silver in a way that he knew would pay off handsomely. Upon his return, the master couldn’t contain his delight at learning that his faithful servant had doubled his money.

Try earning that kind of return with a passbook savings account!

“Well done, my good and faithful servant,” his master exclaimed. “You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!” (Matthew 25:21).

This wise and faithful servant received a handsome reward for his good stewardship because he understood that the wealth he had been using belonged to his master, not to himself.

One reason that God entrusts you with spiritual gifts is so that you can produce fruit for him. What spiritual gifts has he presented to you? How are you using the gifts God has entrusted to your care to give him a good return?

What makes it difficult for you to see yourself as a steward? What can you do to place this reality at the forefront of your thinking? As God’s good and faithful servant, you have the privilege of using what he has given you for his good, for the good of those close to you, and for your own good.