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VIDEO: Jon Weece Interview

A business owner was going on an extended trip around the world that would take many years. He decided to give three employees some of his assets to manage while he was away. It was up to them how they performed their task. To the first one he gave $5 million, to the second $2 million and to the third $1 million, according to their abilities. The first and second employees invested the money, doubling the owner’s contribution. The third put the money in his basement safe, because he was afraid of his boss. When the business owner returned, he was very pleased with the first two employees and gave them more of his assets to manage, but he was very upset and harsh with the third employee, even calling him lazy. The third employee did not use his limited abilities wisely, so the business owner fired him without severance or a reference and gave the $1 million to the first employee. Matthew 25:14-30 (Modern-day paraphrase)

God wants a return on investment (ROI) from the gifts he has given you. In the parable of the talents, the master entrusted his servants with a designated number of “talents,” which are representative of both money (one talent was equivalent to 15 years of wages) and the intangible gifts God has given us for our use and His glory.

Through this parable on stewardship, God shows us how to manage the resources he has given us. Let’s unpack the practical and Kingdom applications in this story:

1. Entrepreneurship – The business owner gave no specific instructions on what to do with the money he provided to his employees, but he did expect them to do something that would create value. They were not supposed to simply keep the money safe (and therefore stagnant); they were to create value. He provided the initial capital (or resources) for the employees to create additional value but required them to take initiative and risk.

2. Profit – Jesus illustrates in this parable that profit pleases God. Value is only created if there is profit, an increase in the value of the investment. The third employee did not even deposit the money in a bank to create some profit; he hid the investment out of fear. God expects a return on investment, not a return of investment. Just as the business owner was not pleased with the employee, God was not pleased either. Clearly, a profit was expected.

3. Work Ethic – The owner was angry with the third employee because of his laziness. We have a need to work and Jesus expects us to work rather than be lazy.

4. Leveraging Skills – We do not all have the same skills and resources at our disposal, but we do have the ability to use what we have been given. If we do not leverage our skills, we will experience “skills atrophy,” which can keep us from discovering all that God has planned for us. The fear of failure is a poor excuse to not try.

Shared Experiences:

• Can someone share what they believe are their talents and skills and how you are exercising or not exercising these? What should you do about this, if anything?

• On a scale of one to ten, with one being lazy and ten being a hard worker, where would you land? If God shadowed you during your workday, would he describe you as a hard worker?

• What are examples that you see as profit being used wisely and unwisely?

• Do any of you feel guilty when your company makes significant profit? Why or why not?

• We are challenged with being generous and cautioned about being greedy. What are your thoughts about this when we think about making a profit?

Bottom line

God expects us to use the resources he has given us, no matter how significant or insignificant we perceive these to be. Be creative and take risks to discover opportunities for yourself and others. He can use every talent or skill that we possess, but we could lose them if we do not nurture and use them.

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