All other things being equal, walang magulang na gustong makita ang kanilang mga anak na naghihirap. Pangarap ng bawat magulang na guminhawa ang buhay ng kanilang mga anak at hindi nila danasin ang mga hirap na kanilang pinagdaanan. If that is true with our earthly parents, how much more with our Heavenly Father. God does not want us to be poor. God created this planet and all its resources just so we could live in it and enjoy it and live to the fullest. Such a beautiful truth but does not reflect reality. Only those who have the most toys and money are seem to be living to the fullest. But reality cannot or does not change the truth that God wants His children to be prosperous much more than earthly parents.
God has established certain rules or steps that we have to follow for us to be prosperous. The first step is WORK HARD o magtrabaho ng puspusan. The second step is INVESTING o pamumuhunan – putting our blessings, properties, possessions in a place where they earn profit or they increase their value. To invest is to increase. Is this biblical? Let’s read Matthew 25:14-30:
“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a trip. He called together his servants and gave them money to invest for him while he was gone. He gave five bags of gold to one, two bags of gold to another, and one bag of gold to the last – dividing it in proportion to their abilities – and then left on his trip. The servant who received the five bags of gold began immediately to invest the money and soon doubled it. The servant with two bags of gold also went right to work and doubled the money. But the servant who received the one bag of gold dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money for safekeeping.
After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of gold said, ‘Sir, you gave me five bags of gold to invest, and I have doubled the amount.’ The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
Next came the servant who had received the two bags of gold, with the report, ‘Sir, you gave me two bags of gold to invest, and I have doubled the amount.’ The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
Then the servant with the one bag of gold came and said, ‘Sir, I know you are a hard man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth and here it is.’
But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! You think I’m a hard man, do you, harvesting crops I didn’t plant and gathering crops I didn’t cultivate? Well, you should at least have put my money into the bank so I could have some interest. Take the money from this servant and give it to the one with the ten bags of gold. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who are unfaithful, even what little they have will be taken away. Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
STEP #2: INVEST
A bag of gold or talent is equivalent to $1000.00. The first servant was given 5 bags of gold or $5000.00, the second $2000.00, the third $1000.00. With the present exchange rate $1 = Php45, the first received Php225,000, the second Php90,000, and the third Php45,000.
What will you do if somebody gives you Php225,000? Ask also your friends. Kahit man lang sa guni-guni ay mag-enjoy ka!
A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. The Lord gives capital to each one of us. We are all servants of God and we owe Him everything. He has given each of us capital to invest – it may be material like money or riches; it may be land or other possessions; it may be friends or connections na maaaring maging paraan para bumukas ang pinto ng kasaganaan. There is also the literal meaning of talent – ability, knowledge and imagination.
What is God’s basis in giving us capital or talent to invest?
I. WE ARE GIVEN ACCORDING TO OUR ABILITY TO RECEIVE AND INCREASE.
“He gave five bags of gold to one, two bags of gold to another, and one bag of gold to the last – dividing it in proportion to their abilities…” Matthew 25:15.
God gives us according to our ability to receive and ability to increase what we received. It has nothing to do with God’s stinginess. God is not stingy. He is a gracious God. The only limitation is our own ability to receive and increase. Do not accuse God of being unfair. “Bakit yung isa lima ang ibinigay samantalang yung isa isa lang? Napaka-unfair naman.” You have to consider first what is your ability. What’s the point of giving you five talents if you can’t even handle one? Ipagkakatiwala mo ba ang iyong kayamanan sa isang taong walang ginawa kondi ang magwaldas? Kaya wala tayong karapatang mainggit sa mga taong talented at nagiging mas talented pa o mayaman na, mas yumayaman pa. Ask yourself, “Napagyaman ko ba ang ibinigay sa akin? Napalago ko ba ito?” If the answer is no, then, we don’t have the right to demand for more. What will you do with Php225,000? Your answer to that question speaks strongly whether you are headed for prosperity or not.
1. HANDLING MONEY – THE FILIPINO WAY!
We, Filipinos, are more into spending than investing. Game show hosts would usually ask their contestants, “What will you do if you win 1 million pesos?” The most common answer: “A, bibili ako ng bahay at lupa. Wala pa kasi kaming bahay.” O hindi kaya, “Ipapaayos ko po yung bahay namin.” Atat na atat tayo diyan sa bahay at lupa. Kapag ang isang member ng family ay nag-abroad, malalaman mo na kumikita na siya doon kasi yung mga kaanak niyang naiwan magpapaayos na ng bahay o bibili ng bahay at lupa. Yung master’s bedroom, naka-aircon na, may terrace na, naka-tiles na ang sala, ang dog house may escalator na, etc.
Pagkatapos ng maraming taon na pagpapakahirap sa labas ng bansa, uuwi na ang Pinoy sa kanyang magandang bahay na kanyang naipundar.
Basically, that is the Filipino dream – to own a house. Well, it’s good to have a beautiful house. But if the flow of money is not sustained, mamaya nakasanla na rin yung bahay at lupa.
King Solomon in all his wisdom said: “Develop your business first before building your house” Proverbs 24:27.
2. THE BUSINESS MENTALITY OF THE FILIPINO-CHINESE
In the Philippines, those who have one syllable names control the economy – Sy, Ty, Tan, Ng, Yu, Uy. Two generations ago, these Chinese migrants were very poor. They came to the Philippines in search of a greener pasture. Back in China life was miserable – talagang sobrang hirap. Masuwerte na sila kapag may makakain na daga, kamote, at kung anu-ano. Pero ngayon sila ang may hawak sa mga malalaking negosyo sa Pilipinas. Kahit saang bayan ka magpunta, sila ang may hawak ng mga negosyo.
What happened? How have they become so rich? Simple. They know how to increase their money. Kahit iyan ay may pera, hindi agad yan bibili ng bahay at lupa. Ang gagawin nila, magrerent ng isang maliit na tindahan, magnenegosyo, titira sa isang gilid o sulok, at magtitiis. They live simply but they have lots of money. They know how to invest.
Students, we have to change our mentality - from spending mentality to investing mentality. Learn how to do business. Kahit gaano kaliit ang capital pwedeng lumago. Pwede kayong magbenta ng load, o hindi kaya magdala kaya ng mga produkto mula sa lugar ninyo katulad ng mga prutas na pwedeng ibenta pagbalik ninyo dito, o mag register sa direct selling, o hindi kaya magbenta kayo ng yema, ng pulboron, at kung anu-ano. If you know how to do business, hindi ka mawawalan ng pera. Do not just dream of getting a good job. Dream of giving jobs to people. Learn to invest.
What does God expect from those who received talents?
II. WE ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE WHAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN.
In Matthew 25:16-17, we read, “The servant who received the five bags of gold began immediately to invest the money and soon doubled it. The servant with two bags of gold also went right to work and doubled the money.”
Notice the word IMMEDIATELY. Right after receiving the money, they invested it. That is what God expects. And what did God say to the one who did not invest what he received?
“Well, you should at least have put my money into the bank so I could have some interest” Matthew 25:27.
But what if you were born poor? What can you invest when you have nothing to invest, when what you have is not even enough for your daily existence? It’s not your fault if you were born poor. But if you die poor that already is your responsibility. We cannot choose our parents and the circumstances we were born with but we certainly can choose how we live. Mahirap maging mahirap lalo na yung ipinanganak na mahirap at namatay na mahirap. Kailan pa tayo makakaahon sa hirap kung ganyan?
Those who were born rich and those who were born poor are both given 24 hours a day. How you make use of it will determine the difference. The Lord expects our talents to be invested. And the Lord expects that they earn profits. The Lord expects profit from the capital that He gives us. Katulad nung binigyan ng limang talents at dalawang talents, pagkatanggap, nagtrabaho sila agad, nagsumikap. Hindi nila sinabing, “Saka na, next time, magpahinga muna tayo.”
How do we waste God’s resources and opportunities? We read this line in the parable: “But the servant who received the one bag of gold dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money for safekeeping” Matthew 25:18.
Iisa na nga lang ang ibinigay, wala pang nangyari. If you want something done immediately, give it to someone who is busy.
We should be busy. Yung isa na isa na nga lang ang ibinigay sa kanya, inilubog pa sa lupa. There are people who are like that – wala na ngang papel sa buhay, bigyan niyo ng konting trabaho, hindi pa aasikasuhin. Paano kayo bibigyan ng mas malaking papel? When there’s a lot to be done rise to the occasion. Sleep less, work more. When there is more to do, you just have to work more. Because, to who much is given, much is required. And remember: To those who deliver more, more will be given.
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