Everyone wants to be prosperous. Basically, that is every man’s dream. But 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.
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.’”
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?
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.
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.”
What do we get after working hard and increasing what we have been given?
III. WE WILL BE REWARDED, ACCORDING TO OUR FAITHFULNESS, WITH MORE INCREASE.
In the parable, the master is God and we are His servants. The master called his servants immediately after arriving to account how they had used his money.
“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!’” Matthew25:19-23.
The two servants were probably very excited to give a report to their master. Kayo ba pag dumating ang Diyos, masaya. Will we be able to say, “Lord, ito yung tubo sa ibinigay Ninyo sa aking talent na magturo, talent kumanta, talent magsulat, talent mag-invite; yung ibinigay Ninyo sa aking pera, bahay, kotse, eto po ang tubo – mga kaluluwa na nadala ko sa Inyo dahil sa paggamit ko ng aking resources o talents.”
There will be a day of accounting. Everything that we received will be accounted for. God is the best accountant.
“For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in our bodies” 2 Corinthians 5:10.
“So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time” Galatians 6:9.
1. The two servants are commended by their master.
“Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Masabihan ka lang ng ganyan, wow, feels like heaven.
2. The two servants are rewarded by their master.
“You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!”
Notice that the two servants received the same commendation and reward, even though they had received different amounts of money. The reward was based on faithfulness, not on the size of their responsibilities. The smallest task in God’s work may receive a great reward if we are faithful in performing it.
The dictionary defines faithful as – firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty, dependable, reliable, trustworthy, and loyal.
If we are faithful with little things, we will be rewarded with greater things. Kaya laging konti iyan, at magkukulang pa, kasi hindi tayo faithful sa konti. Binigyan ka ng P5000, pinagkait mo sa Kanya yung tithes mo kasi sayang din yung 500, pa’no ka bibigyan ng P50,000, ng five million, ng 500 million?
Ganun din naman sa mga trabaho. Kaliit-liit na trabahong ibinigay, ang liit-liit na posisyon, ka simple-simpleng assignment, hindi pa galingan. How will God entrust us with bigger responsibilities? Kaya kung tayo’y mahirap, kung tayo’y maliit, don’t blame God. Ask yourself, “Am I faithful with the little things that God has given me?”
Again, faithful means - firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty, dependable, reliable, trustworthy, and loyal.
“To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance” Matthew 25:29a.
What about the lazy? How will they be treated? If we are lazy….
IV. WE WILL BE SEVERELY PUNISHED FOR OUR WICKEDNESS AND EVEN THE LITTLE WE HAVE WILL BE TAKEN AWAY FROM US.
“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’” Matthew 25:24-30.
1. He is very confident of his excuse or defense.
‘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.’
2. He is called ‘wicked and lazy’ servant.
‘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.’
3. He is deprived of his talent.
‘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.’
4. He is sentenced to be cast into outer darkness.
‘Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Mga tamad, mag-ingat! Panahon na para magbago. Kung hindi tayo marunong mamuhunan, ito ang mangyayari sa atin. Hindi kinukunsinti ng Diyos ang mga tamad. Marami namang mga tamad, hindi naman talaga naitatapon. Pero ang kalagayan nila, ganu’n na rin. Nasa kadiliman, nagngangalit ang ngipin dahil hindi nila mabili ang gusto nilang bilhin. Wala silang ginawa kundi mainggit na lang sa meron.
Kapag hindi ninyo iningatan ang bigay ng Diyos, yang kapirasong iyan, mawawala pa. Our time, abilities, and money aren’t ours – we are caretakers, not owners. When we ignore, squander, or abuse what we are given, we are rebellious and deserve to be punished.
The Lord gives according to man’s ability. Instead of complaining why you receive little, search yourself. Hindi pwedeng tayo ay tamad. Let’s learn to invest. Make money, make wealth. We have to change our mentality from spending mentality to investing mentality. We need to be business-minded. Hindi nakakahiya ang mag negosyo. Take risks and be determined. When you fail, don’t give up. Try again.
Invest, my friends. The Lord expects productivity and profitability from the talents, time, and treasure He gave us. Those that make much will be given more, those that make nothing will be punished with even more terrible nothingness. So let’s be prosperous. Let’s do much with much, let’s do much with little. Do not just consume. Invest properly and invest well.
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