What Are You Doing With What God Gave You?

Matthew 25:14 through 30 is often called the Parable of the Talents or the Parable of the Bags of Gold, depending on the translation of the Bible you read. Jesus told this story to reveal what the Kingdom of Heaven is like, particularly as it relates to responsibility, stewardship, and accountability before God. So today I want to look at and summarize what happens in the parable, and unpack the full meaning, both spiritually and practically, for us today.

The Story

In this parable, Jesus describes a master who goes on a long journey. Before he leaves, he calls three of his servants and entrusts his wealth to them. To one servant, he gives five bags of gold. To another, two bags. And to the last one, he gives one bag. Each receives a different amount based on what the master knows they can handle.

The first two servants take what they were given and immediately go to work. They invest it, manage it, and by the time their master returns, they’ve each doubled what they started with. The servant who had five now has ten, and the one who had two now has four. But the servant who received just one bag of gold does something completely different. Out of fear, he digs a hole and hides the money in the ground so that nothing happens to it.

When the master comes back, he calls them in to settle accounts. The first two servants proudly present what they’ve done, showing how they’ve multiplied what was given to them. The master is pleased. He says, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You’ve been faithful with a few things, so I’ll put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness.”

Then the servant with one bag comes forward. He explains that he was afraid of losing what he had and admits that he buried it instead of using it. The master is not happy with this response. He calls the servant lazy and wicked, takes away the one bag, and gives it to the one who now has ten. And in the end, the unfaithful servant is thrown out into the darkness.

The Master Represents Christ

The master in this story represents Jesus. He has gone away for a time, but He will return. While He’s away, He has entrusted His followers with certain responsibilities, gifts, and opportunities. This parable gives us a picture of what’s happening right now in our lives. Jesus is watching to see what we will do with what He’s given us.

When He returns, He will ask for an account of how we’ve used our time, our gifts, our resources, and even our influence. This parable reminds us that being a believer isn’t just about believing; it’s about being faithful with what has been placed in our care.

The Servants Represent Believers

Each servant in the story represents a type of believer. The two who worked hard and multiplied what they had represent those who take what God gives them and use it for His Kingdom. These are people who live with purpose, invest their time and energy wisely, and bear fruit through their obedience.

The servant who hid his gold represents a believer who plays it safe, avoids responsibility, or lives in fear. This person may believe in God but doesn’t act on that belief. Instead of stepping out in faith, they hold back, make excuses, and waste what God has entrusted to them.

God does not measure success by how much we start with but by what we do with what we have. That’s why both of the faithful servants, even though they started with different amounts, received the same praise. Faithfulness is what matters most to God.

The Bags of Gold Represent What God Entrusts to Us

In this story, the bags of gold represent more than just money. They symbolize everything God gives us to use for His glory. That could be spiritual gifts, skills, wisdom, influence, authority, or even time. Every one of us has been given something by God, and none of it is meant to be buried or wasted.

It doesn’t matter how much or how little you have. What matters is that you use it well. The real question is, are you doing something meaningful with what God has placed in your hands?

The Journey Represents Christ’s Physical Absence

When the master leaves on his journey, it represents this present time while Jesus is in Heaven. He’s not physically here with us, but He’s watching. And just like the master in the story, He’s going to return.

During this time, we are meant to work with what He has given us. We are to use our lives to build His Kingdom and to influence others for His glory. We are living in the waiting period between His departure and His return, and how we live now determines what happens when He comes back.

Faithfulness Leads to Multiplication

The two faithful servants both doubled what they were given, and that reveals something powerful about God’s Kingdom. Faithfulness always leads to increase. When you’re responsible with what God has given you, He can trust you with more.

This doesn’t only apply to money. It also applies to things like wisdom, responsibility, revelation, and opportunity. When you prove yourself faithful with small things, God opens doors for greater things. Jesus said it best in Luke 16:10, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.”

Faithfulness is the key that unlocks multiplication.

Fear Leads to Loss

The servant who hid his gold did it because he was afraid. He told his master, “I knew you were a hard man,” which shows that he misunderstood his master’s heart. Fear made him unproductive.

This part of the story reminds us that fear is one of the greatest enemies of faith. When people are afraid, afraid to fail, afraid to step out, afraid of rejection, they often end up doing nothing. But doing nothing is still a choice, and in the Kingdom of God, inaction is disobedience.

God rewards faith that acts. He does not bless fear that hides. You can’t move forward in your purpose while staying buried in fear.

Judgment and Reward

When the master returned, he rewarded those who had been faithful. He gave them greater authority and invited them to share in his joy. This is a glimpse of what it will be like when Christ returns. Our faithfulness here on Earth determines our reward and responsibility in eternity.

For those who were unfaithful, however, the story ends differently. The servant who wasted his opportunity lost even what he had. This shows that spiritual stagnation always leads to loss, while faithfulness always leads to growth. God expects movement, growth, and fruitfulness from those who belong to Him.

What It Means for Us Today

This parable applies to every part of our lives. It’s not just about finances or business; it’s about how we live and what we do with what God gives us.

Your Life Is God’s Investment.
Everything you have, your time, your skills, your influence, your resources, has been entrusted to you by God. You don’t own it; you manage it.

God Expects Increase.
The Kingdom of Heaven is built on growth. God expects us to multiply what He’s given, whether that’s by helping others, spreading His truth, or being excellent in the work we do.

Faith Requires Action.
The difference between the faithful and the unfaithful servant was not in what they were given but in what they did. You have to take action, even when what you have seems small.

Fear Is the Enemy of Fruitfulness.
So many people today hide their gifts out of fear. Fear of failure, fear of criticism, fear of not being enough. But God does not call us to live in fear. He calls us to walk in faith.

Christ Will Return.
Just as the master came back to settle accounts, Jesus will return. Every believer will give an account for how they lived. This isn’t about salvation, which is by grace, but about faithfulness.

Faithfulness Is Rewarded, Not Talent Alone.
Notice that both faithful servants were praised equally, even though one had more than the other. God doesn’t reward based on how much we have; He rewards based on how faithful we are with it.

Summary

The Parable of the Bags of Gold teaches us about stewardship, accountability, and purpose. Jesus is showing us that the Kingdom of God operates on faithfulness and responsibility. Everything in your life, your calling, your resources, your relationships, has been given to you by God to be used for His glory.

When He returns, He won’t ask what you started with. He’ll ask what you did with what you were given.

In today’s world, that means using your gifts, influence, and opportunities to expand the Kingdom of God. Those who are faithful will be entrusted with more. Those who hide what they have in fear or complacency will lose it.

This parable is a reminder to live boldly, to be faithful, and to use everything God has placed in your hands until the day the Master returns.