God has given us everything we need in order to be successful, and He expects us to use it.
The parable of the talents begins with: "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called 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." (Matthew 25:14-15)
Jesus begins this parable by telling us that He is describing the kingdom of heaven, God's kingdom. Anyone who considers himself a believer in Jesus Christ is a part of God's kingdom. As a member of God's kingdom, this parable teaches us valuable truths that help us understand our rights and privileges, as well as our responsibilities, in His kingdom.
The parable teaches us that the man, who represents the Master, or God, gives His goods to His servants. His decision about how much to give each servant is based on the servant's ability. That ability is a combination of the servant's own skills, and the opportunities that are, and will be, available to the servant.
God has not set us up for failure. He knows what we are capable of doing, and He knows about the opportunities that we will have throughout our lives. The question for us is: Are we willing to use what God has given us? As Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 8:12, "For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have."
God gives us, just like the master in this parable, everything we need for success. He provides for us out of His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19). He is not limited by the economy, the government, or even our jobs. He has given His goods to us, and He is expecting us to be faithful with them, He is expecting us to succeed.
Many people say that prosperity teachings might work in America, but that they won't work in other parts of the world, especially in third world countries. But when we realize that God gives resources and opportunities to all of His servants, that argument goes out the window.
God is expecting us, no matter where we live, to be faithful with what He has given us. He is expecting us to increase His goods, and He wants to reward all of His servants for their faithfulness.
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