The Parable of the Talents is a regularly discussed passage for Faith Driven Investors. One simple thought we see from this story: action isn’t optional. Some of the servants in the parable of the talents did what they were supposed to do. They knew the master was coming back, so they worked hard to give him a large dividend upon his return. But one didn’t. One servant sat on the money, hoarding it and hiding it, probably dreading the day the master would return, or secretly hoping that day might never come.

The thing is, there’s a city to come. God has told us that he will return and bring heaven to earth. In the meantime, sitting on our hands and waiting for that day to come isn’t good enough. We have the opportunity to work in a way that prepares our companies, our cities, and our hearts for God’s eventual arrival. 

This actually isn’t a lesson on working harder so that we’ll have more success to show to God. It’s about seeing our work as an act of service to the Master. It’s about understanding that He has given us something, namely a business or an investment portfolio, with which we can honor, glorify, and worship Him. Don’t bury what God has given you. That’s not just a command from Scripture. It’s an invitation to do what God wants you to do so that you can continue to experience more of him in this life.