Description
The moment you die, all that will matter will be if you knew Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and how you invested the time and resources you were given on earth.
Matthew 25:14-30 gives us the parable of the talents, where three men were given money to invest by their master, who represents God. A talent was 75 pounds of gold coins and illustrates the time and resources we're given on earth. One man was given five talents of gold (375 pounds, 10.8 million dollars in today's currency), the second was given two talents (150 pounds, worth 4.3 million dollars) and the third was given one talent, 75 pounds—2.1 million dollars' worth. The first two men doubled what they were given and heard God say, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master."
The man who had been given one talent addressed the Lord as "Master", which indicated he knew who God was, but his actions revealed that he neither knew nor loved God. He took the time to dig a hole wide and deep enough to bury 75 pounds of gold. He hefted it into the hole, then dug it back up when he returned it to God. It would have taken him far less time and effort to cart it off to the bank and deposit it; the interest on 2.1 million dollars would have been significant over the years. God's reply was terrifying: "…cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 25:30)
The Bible tells us to invest the treasures of our time and resources in the eternal (Matthew 6:20-21), that faith without works is dead (James 2:14-26), to set our minds on the eternal (Colossians 3:2) and to persevere in good works.
"He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury."
– Romans 2:6-7
"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."
– Galatians 6:9
How we spend out time and resources is a big deal to God. The fruit from our lives reveals our heart for God; the believer who understands they've been given an enormous treasure-trove of blessings will be so filled with love that they'll be eager to make their life count for eternity. Every believer goes through seasons of testing, pruning, and pain where there are days it's hard just to survive and we're momentarily barren, but God uses our suffering to produce more fruit:
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples."
John 15:1-8
Today, many professing Christians are wasting their lives on pleasure and comfort. Some know God's word but don't do what it says; they've spent years in Bible study and attended church but have little to show for it. James calls these believers self-deceived.
"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. Fo