In Matthew 25:14-30 we read,
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, whocalled his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
“So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done,good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
“Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’”
Jesus gave us a number of parables to teach us to sow into our lives in order to reap. Sow love, reap love; sow kindness, reap kindness. I’ve discovered a reason for my slow progress in my business is that I have not been following that principle, and have been reaping slow growth because I have saved most of my earnings rather than use them toward further business growth.
I want to be a good steward of all the LORD provides. But there is such a thing as too much diligence, and I seem to have been practicing it.
Several months ago I led a conference, and was well-paid for it. I tithed the earnings and saved the rest, to use when necessary. But necessary came – petty costs actually – and they went without my using the money I had. I didn’t purchase some software I needed, because I was being frugal, too frugal.
Now, I’ve not accomplished a step in my business that needed the software. I thought I’d manage without it. But instead, I’ve stalled in that department, and only now have I realized I’ve wasted time in order to save a small amount of resources.
God will provide the resources we need as we do the work He calls us to do. Being a wise steward means spending wisely, not wastefully. Spending not-at-all is not good stewardship. I’ve learned this and share it, so that you might avoid a pitfall I fell into.
Ready: Consider your resources, be they financial, people or ability/skill-based. In your mind assemble, tally them up.
Set: Decide how best to maximize the use of your resources now. Don’t ‘save for a rainy day’. The LORD knows the weather forecast better than we do.
Go: Purchase, hire, apply your money, people and skills to the work at hand. Allow your business ideas room and opportunity to grow.
Bless you, your business and your relationship with the Almighty Provider.