DISCIPLESHIP: Maximizing the potentials

Luke 19:11-27

In the parable, the master gave his servants ten minas and said to them “Put this money to work until I come back.” (13)

Here ‘the master’ represents ‘Jesus’ and ‘servants’ represent ‘us’ (his believers/followers). ‘Minas’ represent everything God gave us – life, time, talents, money, possessions, wisdom, skills, health, ……

God is the owner of ‘minas’ each of us received

God is the owner of our life, time, talents, money, possessions, wisdom, skills, health, ……

We are not owners but stewards of them. What does God want us to do with them? See v13.

“Put this money to work (13).” Let us pay careful attention to this command.

It is God’s command not to hide, waste or misuse but to make useful use of them

Our life, time, talents, money, possessions, wisdom, skills, health, …… are not there for nothing but for purpose. Hiding, wasting, or misusing them is sin before God. It is our obligation to make useful use of them.

God gave us many things but it is our job to ‘make them work’

When we would put money to work, it is our job to write business plan, buy goods & equipment, advertise and sell.

Also this command implies to make ‘profit’

God gave us potentials. It is our job to develop and use our skills and talents to maximize the potentials.

When the master was made King and came back, two servants who did the job and made profit were richly rewarded (15 – 19).

But another servant hid the mina and didn’t use it at all (20).

Why? See verse 20.

This servant was afraid of the master because he thought that the master was ‘a hard man’.  He had ‘fear’ and ‘negative thought’. ‘fear’ paralyses the potential. ‘negative thought’ hinders ‘progress’ and ‘success’.

This servant explains what ‘a hard man’ means by saying “You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.” (21)

He thought what he received from the master was too few to make it work. So he blamed the master saying the above.

To avoid being like this servant,

Thank God for what we have

Let us stop thinking that God gave us too few (money, talents, health, ……). God gave us air to breath and water to drink. God gave us time and space. God gave us free will. Our God is good God. He loves us. Trust God.

Put down fear and negative thought

Be brave and positive to progress and succeed.

And do your job to make it work!

I pray we all may do our job well to maximize our potentials for the glory of God! Amen.