Today’s New Covenant nugget is from Luke 16:10 (TPT)
The one who faithfully manages the little he has been given will be promoted and trusted with greater responsibilities. But those who cheat with the little they have been given will not be considered trustworthy to receive more.
Matthew 25:23 (AMP) says, ‘His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little, I will put you in charge of many things; share in the joy of your master.”’
Many Bible teachers have taught these scriptures in a ‘performance based’ way… they have taught that if you perform well, you will please the Father, and if you do not perform and ‘achieve’, that the Father will not be pleased with you. To that, let me say this upfront… “The Father is pleased with you as a born-again believer, because of what Jesus did, not because of what you do. He is pleased with you, because you have FAITH in Jesus and in His Word. Jesus achieved, now you receive, and then take what you have received, and be a good steward.”
These scriptures are about ‘stewardship’, not achievement, or performance…
Some believers take the talent, the gifts, and the anointing that the Lord has given them, and bury it… they never use it for His glory… instead, they focus their whole lives on either surviving, or, achieving their goals… as believers, ‘they’ will always be pleasing to the Lord as the righteousness of God in Christ, but their ‘stewardship’ with what the Lord gave them, does not please Him…
When you make the time to ‘develop’ what the Lord has given you; when you use your faith, combined with hard work, getting training, gaining knowledge, practicing, and developing excellence in your gifts, talents and in your calling and anointing; as you ‘prove’ yourself ‘faithful’ in the little you have been given, the Lord will add more gifts, talents, and bring ‘increase’ in all that you do for Him.
Notice that in the parable, the servant was given a stewardship responsibility with that which belonged to his master… the gifts, the talents and the anointing in your life do not belong to you, they belong to Jesus, and He has entrusted what belongs to Him, to you… do not bury it, neglect it, or be slack with it… honor the Lord with your stewardship!
Many people who are being used ‘hugely’ by the Lord did not have much to start with… they took what the Lord entrusted to them, and used their FAITH to GROW! They practiced hours behind the scenes, spent their own money to get training… they worked very hard, and put their all into it… they spent hours in prayer, and put their whole hearts into being good stewards over what belonged to the Lord…
Just like Jesus was ‘impressed’ by the widow giving her ‘mite’ (penny) in the offering, He is still impressed and blessed when we give Him our all. The widow gave the Lord ‘everything’ while others gave more money, but actually gave less… (they had much left over… if a millionaire gives a thousand dollars, and a widow who is down to her last penny, gives it all… who has given the most?). I have seen some people who ‘naturally’ have huge talent and amazing gifts, but fail to develop them… they won’t practice, go for training, or even use their faith to stretch themselves. Most of those people never do much for God. Others are like that widow… they only have a tiny talent, they have a small amount of gifting, yet they give it all to the Lord… those are the ones who will do great exploits!
Every one of you has been given something that belongs to the Lord… what are you doing with it?
In His amazing Love, Nick
