Day 7 — Well Done

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’”

— Matthew 25:21 (BSB)

Jesus told a story about a rich man who was going on a long trip. Before he left, he called three servants and gave each of them some of his money to take care of. The money was measured in talents, and a single talent was a huge amount, worth many years of wages!

To the first servant, he gave five talents. To the second, two talents. To the third, one talent. Each got an amount based on his ability.

The first servant went right to work. He traded and invested, and he doubled his money: five became ten! The second servant did the same: two became four.

But the third servant was afraid. He dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money. He didn’t lose it, but he didn’t do anything with it either.

After a long time, the master came home. The first servant showed him the ten talents. The master was delighted! He said, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.” He said the same thing to the second servant.

But the third servant said, “I was afraid, so I hid your money in the ground. Here it is.” And the master was very disappointed. He took that one talent away and gave it to the servant who had ten.

This story is about what we do with what God has given us. Everything you have is a gift from God: your abilities, your time, your money, your opportunities and your relationships. You didn’t make any of it. God loaned it to you, and He wants you to use it for Him.

Notice that the master didn’t expect the servant with two talents to make as much as the one with five. God doesn’t compare you to anyone else. He just wants you to be faithful with what you’ve been given.

And look at the reward: not just more responsibility, but “enter into the joy of your master.” One day, if you’ve been faithful, you’ll hear Jesus say, “Well done!” Can you imagine anything better?

Think about it: What are some “talents” God has given you? Are you using them, or have you “buried” some of them?

Try this: Choose one gift or ability you have and use it today in a way that helps someone else or honors God.

Dear God, thank You for everything You’ve given me. Help me not to bury my gifts out of fear, but to use them faithfully for You. One day, I want to hear You say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” In Jesus’ name, Amen.