Some teachings don’t just inspire us—they recalibrate us. They rewire how we think, how we steward, and how we respond to opportunity. The parable of the talents is one of those teachings. It is not poetic encouragement. It is a Kingdom operating system. A mandate that reveals how Heaven views growth, responsibility, and trust.
Jesus does not present stewardship as optional. He presents it as foundational. If we desire Kingdom authority—spiritually, relationally, or financially—we must first understand this truth: increase never precedes responsibility. It follows it.
Grow What You’ve Been Given
In Matthew 25, a master entrusts his servants with resources, “each according to his ability.” That phrase matters. God is not reckless with what He releases. He does not set people up to fail. He entrusts based on capacity—the ability to carry, steward, and grow what has been given.
But the heart of the story isn’t how much each servant received. It’s what each one did with it.
When the master returns, he is not impressed by intent. He does not reward preservation. He evaluates results. The one who received ten returns with ten more. The one who received five returns with five more. Different amounts. Same faithfulness. Same reward.
“Well done… enter into the joy of your Lord.”
This is not the joy of accumulation. It is the joy of promotion. The delight of a Father who sees faithfulness proven through growth.
Then there is the third servant. He didn’t waste the talent. He didn’t lose it. He simply buried it. And that is what makes the moment uncomfortable—because inactivity is treated as unfaithfulness. In the Kingdom, neutrality is not an option.
Faithfulness Is Measured by Productivity
Jesus reinforces this principle elsewhere: “Whoever has, more will be given… and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away.” This is not harshness; it is stewardship logic. What grows under your care qualifies you for more. What stagnates disqualifies you from increase.
The master takes the unproductive servant’s talent and gives it to the one who has proven faithful. God rewards increase because increase demonstrates alignment.
And this principle is not limited to finances. It applies to gifts, leadership, influence, opportunities, and relationships. But money brings clarity to the conversation because it exposes trust. Finances sit at the intersection of fear, control, generosity, and faith. How we handle money often reveals what truly governs our heart.
Wealth as a Test
Jesus makes it unmistakably clear: “If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?” Money is not the goal—it is the proving ground. It reveals whether we are prepared to steward something greater.
People often say, “When I make more, then I’ll begin saving, investing, or giving.” But more income does not fix a stewardship issue. It only magnifies it.
I once worked with a client earning $300,000 a year who still lived paycheck to paycheck. The problem wasn’t opportunity. It was alignment. Amounts do not determine success—mindset does.
Faithfulness always begins with what you have now.
God does not promote intentions. He promotes demonstrated stewardship. That is why Jesus ties “true riches” to how we manage what seems smaller or temporary. Money reveals whether we are trustworthy managers or hopeful consumers.
Learning to Think Like a Kingdom Manager
After decades in wealth management, I’ve seen the pattern repeat endlessly. People want breakthrough without discipline. Increase without responsibility. Promotion without productivity.
They chase shortcuts, emotions, or systems that promise quick results while bypassing faithfulness. But the Kingdom doesn’t respond to gimmicks—it responds to growth.
God is not withholding. He is waiting. Waiting for alignment. Waiting for maturity. Waiting for someone willing to steward well what is already in their hands.
Transforming a Generation
We do not transform a generation by preaching prosperity. We transform it by modeling stewardship. By restoring the expectation that faithfulness matters. That responsibility precedes authority. That growth is intentional.
Stewardship is not about money alone—it is about maturity. It is about becoming a people God can trust with influence, leadership, and true riches. When stewardship becomes culture, promotion becomes inevitable.
This is the growth mandate.
Randy Gladden
