The Have’s and Have Not’s

Matthew 25:29
“For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.”

The verse above is found in the passage that talks about the parable of the talents. The most known truth about this parable is about the two servants who doubled their talents and the one servant who did nothing with his talent. Of course, we know the master commended the servants who took what they had and worked the money until they doubled it, and he condemned the servant who buried the talent and did nothing with it.

However, a very important truth is missed in this parable. The verse above says, “…every one that hath shall be given… but from him that hath not shall be taken away…” You can see in this verse that there are the have’s, and the have not’s. What is it that they have or have not? What they have or have not is the character to take what they have and work it until God doubles it. God is saying that whatever He gives you, He expects you to continue working it. If the servants who doubled their talents stopped working their talents, God would have taken away from them what they had. It is not a matter of how much you have, but whether you continue working with what you have. The moment these servants stop working on multiplying their talents is the moment they will have not. If they wanted to continue to have, they needed to continue working on what caused them to have, and God would continue to give to them. Simply speaking, if you want God to continue to double what you have, keep doing what it took to double what you previously had. You either have the character to keep working on what you have, or you don’t have the character to continue working once you get it.

One of the greatest mistakes people make is they stop doing what they did to become successful; instead, they live off the success of the past. You have to understand that if you want God to continue to give to you, you have to continue working what you have for God to continue to give. The giving principle of Luke 6:38 applies where it says, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” As long as you keep on giving the effort to work what God has given you, God will keep on giving back to you.

Let me apply this truth to your life. Preacher, you must be careful about not becoming complacent with the sermons you have preached and continue to study as you did in the past when God gave you those sermons. God will continue to give you more great sermons to help if you will continue to give out the “newest” truth that He just gave you this week.

Pastor or church member, if you want God to continue to grow your church, you must keep soul winning and working in the church for God to continue to grow your church. Many churches slowly die because they became complacent with the doubling of what they had instead of continuing to work to double what God has already doubled. Complacency with success is the destruction of any person or church.

My friend, don’t let God’s doubling of what you have cause you to stop working to double what He has given you. If you keep working to double what God doubles, you can see God’s blessings continue to fall on your work.

Author: Allen Domelle