Matthew 25:24-25 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
“There is no failure except in no longer trying” – Elbert Hubbad
Quitting before trying is the most disastrous failure one could ever face. In the parable of the talents, Jesus called the servant who did not even try to use the share of money that was entrusted with him as ‘wicked and lazy’. ‘You wicked, lazy servant! (Matthew 25:26a). The Lord God called him a loser! He was complaining, critical and callous in his response. The self defensive mechanism of the servant was to blame the Master as a hard man who harvests where he does not sow!
The servant who did not even try to invest his bag of money could have been fearful of the probabilities and possibilities of losing the investment. If fear rules our decision and if anxiety directs our action, we will be ‘wicked’ in God’s eyes. Fear is the enemy of faith.
So, when we are afraid or apprehensive about making a new start, diagnose the root cause. If the fear is stopping us from changing jobs, starting a business, going back to school for further studies, up-skilling and equipping ourselves, we will be categorized as ‘wicked and lazy’ in the eyes of God. Fear factor is the dream killer. Fear demolishes the vision in our heart. Fear hinders God’s plan and distracts us from God’s purpose.
Don’t quit trying:
1. Afraid: God will give us ideas, skills and resources to produce wealth. He will give us the ability to produce wealth but He will not do it for us. We have to take the inspiring thought and deploy it into an investment ‘prayerfully’ to see a plentiful harvest. And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 28:8a). Don’t be afraid to action God’s inspiring intuitive ideas.
2. Apprehensive: We live in God’s economy so the news, publications and research papers of the economist about recession or slump in the stock market should not push us into apprehension. The economic recession and famine did not affect the produce of Isaac. Now Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundred times as much (Genesis 26:13). The same year that others suffered loss Isaac reaped a bountiful harvest. Shake away apprehensive threats from CNN, BBC and The Economic Times.
3. Apathetic: Indifference is caused by comparison and complaints. The third servant who buried his bag of money compared himself with the others who got more than his share. Apathy is a dream killer.
“Don’t give up trying”. “There is no failure worse than not trying”
Matthew 25:30a And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness,
Prayer: Dearest Lord Jesus, I surrender my fear, apprehensions and apathy at your feet. Give me the tenacity to leverage my gifts and lead me towards my destiny. Amen
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