Your Options

Matthew 25:^16-18 “He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more… he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.” (ESV)

You have a decision to make, and it is one of these two things. The first option is you can store it. When you store it, it is safe, but it is also sterile, and it leads to stagnation. Storing always leads to stagnation and eventually, retrogression. In the parable of the talent, the master gave talents to three of his servants. One servant chose to store. It was safe, but it was sterile, and it led to stagnation. And when the master came, he collected the talent, and it led to retrogression. Every time you store what you should pour, it always leads to stagnation. Storing gives a deceptive feeling of safety, and a deceptive feeling that everything is fine. But guess what? It is not only safe, but also sterile, and it leads to stagnation.

One consequence of storing it is that it is displeasing to Jesus. Think about the areas in your life—faith, family, finances, fitness, friendships, farm, and fun. If you are storing it, it is displeasing to Jesus. Another consequence of storing it is that storing it is boring. The reason a lot of people’s lives are boring is because they are storing it. One of the things that I used to worry about before I gave my life to Jesus in college was, living a boring life. I did not want to live a boring life. And it was because my idea of Christianity based on what I had observed was that it was too boring. Little did I know that they were not actually following Jesus the way they should. Because it is impossible to follow Jesus and be boring. It is absolutely impossible!

Show me a bored, dissatisfied, judgmental, and angry Christian and I will show you a Christian who is storing it up. Show me a family that is boring and filled with dissatisfied people, it is because somebody is storing it up. Show me finances that are boring and sterile, it is because somebody is storing it up instead of pouring it out. Check the life of the servant in the parable of the talent. Not only was he afraid, but he was also resentful. Every time people store up, they are usually resentful, angry, offended, or judgemental about something. So, they hold back. I do not want to serve in church, because you have to be careful. That was how in 1924, when I was an usher, somebody did not smile at me. People have all sorts of crazy stories.

The point is this; do you want your life to continue to be boring and displeasing to Jesus? Then keep storing it up. But that is not your portion in Jesus Name. Your life is going to be exciting and pleasing to Jesus. So, you need to pour it out. The second option before us is to pour it out. You need to pour it out. Guess what? Pouring it out is messy and muddled. Imagine when the woman broke the vessel, and poured the perfume on Jesus’ head, it must have rubbed off on His attire and stained it maybe. The fragrance of the ointment must have filled the room. When you pour things out, it is messy, muddled, and it mingles. But guess what? It multiplies!

Prayer: Father, I choose to pour it out and not store it up, and as I pour it out help me to focus on the multiplication and not the mess, in Jesus Name. Amen!