Dave Ramsey could spend a week’s worth of radio shows breaking down the a financial manager so lethargic, he’d put the entire concept of the Protestant work ethic to shame.
This financial manager was not a crook. He didn’t overcharge, then skim off the extra for himself. He wasn’t incompetent, even though his results were pathetic. He didn’t lack for great clients. In fact, he only had one, and that alone provided more than enough financial capital.
So what did he do to deserve such an infamous title?
The story starts with a trip. A wealthy man prepared for a long journey and appointed three servants to manage his finances and estate. Each servant-turned-finance manager received a portfolio of money to handle based on his ability.
One received five talents and doubled the return.
Another received two talents and double the return.
The last one, our story’s focus, received one talent and came out even.
This servant-turned-finance-manager buried his one talent in the ground and did absolutely nothing. A talent’s worth of gold resting underneath the soil was no cash crop, just a dirty reminder of deeper issues within the servant himself.
If you’re a student of the Bible, you’ve already recognized it’s the Parable of the Talents. But stick with me and let’s dig a little deeper.
You know that when the master returned, he congratulated the two high-performing servants. Rewards and appointments for more responsibility followed.
The master then shifted his attention to the last servant and rebuked him for his mismanagement.
When called to carpet, the servant says, “Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours” (Matthew 25:24-25).
The master says, “You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed?
Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents” (Matthew 25:26-28).
This story is about more than money. It’s about attitude and worldview. Look at the exchange between the servant and master. Our servant had a golden excuse and a sniping accusation.
I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed.
The servant doubted the character of his master. When you doubt someone’s character, you can never commit to him, and you’ll justify anything. You can blame him for your failures and excuse yourself for thinking, “All you deserve is to break even. You’ll just end what you started with.”
So the servant gave up all ambition and bided his time, “quietly quitting.” He knew what was waiting for him when the master came back: a much-deserved tongue-lashing. Deep down somewhere, he probably wanted to do well but could not bring himself to escape his cowardice.
Out of jealousy, he looked at what the other servants had and felt he deserved more responsibility.
Out of doomerism, an extreme pessimism, he said “why bother?” and drained away in apathy.
Out of spite, he refused to steward the resources he was given, ruining his reputation, losing out on many rewards, and showing himself a coward.
It’s tempting to do to God Almighty Himself, doubting His character when things don’t go our way, holding Him at arm’s length, refusing to step out in faith to prove a petty point to Him.
Yours truly has done that. For a good two-plus years, I haven’t written much on this site. I haven’t been faithful in what I started, and now, the consequences of letting time go by have finally gotten my attention. If I was one of the servants, I’d be the one who received the single talent: modest ability, but ability nonetheless. And like the servant/finance manager, I’ve dragged my feet and shortchanged God.
How about you?
Is there a talent you’re burying? Do you get the sense that you should be building something, serving somewhere, starting a new project…but are holding back for reasons you’d rather not admit?
Our all-or-nothing culture says no pursuit is worth it unless you’re the best. But “being the best” is fool’s gold. Someone out there is counting on you and your skills, your insights, your personality.
Let your mission guide you as a kingdom builder. You may not have all the answers or resources up front, but God has already gone before you to prepare the way.
All that’s needed is some good old fashioned elbow grease, and things will start to shake loose.
If you enjoyed this story from start to finish…
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Kevin Cochrane is the creator of Replenish, the site to resupply your faith with overlooked insights from Scripture-based stories.
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