“From the Heart” teaching by Drs. Rodney & Adonica Howard-Browne.

Watch therefore [give strict attention and be cautious and active], for you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man will come. 14 For it is like a man who was about to take a long journey, and he called his servants together and entrusted them with his property. 15 To one he gave five talents [probably about $5,000], to another two, to another one–to each in proportion to his own personal ability. Then he departed and left the country. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he gained five talents more. 17 And likewise he who had received the two talents–he also gained two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came and brought him five more, saying, Master, you entrusted to me five talents; see, here I have gained five talents more. 21 His master said to him, Well done, you upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the blessedness) which your master enjoys. 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, Master, you entrusted two talents to me; here I have gained two talents more. 23 His master said to him,Well done, you upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the blessedness) which your master enjoys. 24 He who had received one talent also came forward, saying, Master, I knew you to be a harsh and hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you had not winnowed [the grain]. 25 So I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is your own.26 But his master answered him, You wicked and lazy and idle servant! Did you indeed know that I reap where I have not sowed and gather [grain] where I have not winnowed? 27 Then you should have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent away from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will be furnished richly so that he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have will be taken away. 30 And throw the good-for-nothing servant into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.  Matthew 25:13-30 AMP

According to Jesus, when we use what we have been given, then we are being faithful. Some people think that they are actually taking good care of something if they keep it to themselves, if they keep it hidden away, and if they don’t use it – but the Bible says that they are unfaithful. God says that you are being faithful only when you use and multiply what you have been given. In this parable, the servants were given property – money – to administrate. We can see from the Word that God expects us to be faithful with everything that has been given into our charge, whether it is money, knowledge, or abilities. He expects us to do something with them and multiply them.

The Lord does not automatically start you off with five talents – He will give you one at first. Then it is up to you – what you do with your one talent determines whether or not you are given any more after that. People who are lazy with the things which have been given to them are not given any more. Some of these same people are unjustifiably jealous of others who have more than they do. This is because they have not taken responsibility for their own poor choices and actions nor have they realized that faithfulness brings more blessing, more responsibility and more authority, but unfaithfulness will cause them to lose the little they do have.

He who is faithful in a very little [thing] is faithful also in much, and he who is dishonest and unjust in a very little [thing] is dishonest and unjust also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithfulin the [case of] unrighteous mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions), who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not proved faithful in that which belongs to another [whether God or man], who will give you that which is your own [that is, the true riches]? 13 No servant is able to serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (riches, or anything in which you trust and on which you rely).  Luke 16:10-13 AMP

When you are faithful with money and worldly things, then God can trust you with His Spirit and with the anointing. Being faithful means that we are not paralyzed by fear. Being faithful means not hoarding, but rather being generous and giving it away. So faithfulness has to do with both usingand giving what we have been given. In this way we will be pleasing to our Master.