A while ago, I spoke with Lake McGuire, who is an incredibly inspiring man who always uplifts me personally when I talk to him. I first met Lake five years ago, at one of our live events, and began coaching him shortly after. From the outside, Lake appeared to have it all. He was married, had his own business. In reality, his life was a wreck! His wife was asking for a divorce, he was heavily in debt and his business was totally stagnant. In recent years, he has totally turned his life around. During our talk he mentioned a parable that I want to share with you about success.

Yes, it’s from the Bible, but even if you aren’t a religious person there is something important I want you to realize. Because it perfectly illustrates a huge point!

A master pulls aside three of his slaves and entrusts them each with talents, based on their own abilities. To one he gives five talents, to the second he gives two and to the last he gives one talent. Think of this as your upbringing, your education or knowledge. Maybe you only received one talent in life and find it unfair.

“Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.” (Matthew 25: 16-18)

Those who invested their talents came back with double what they put in, save the one who was afraid to do anything. Imagine if you invested your abilities, your one talent and doubled it. You might not be at ten talents, like someone people out there. But you would still be better off than when you started. And if you reinvested again, and doubled your skill sets even more, suddenly you’d have four.

So what happens next in the story? “The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’  His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’” (Matthew 25:20-21)

You see, he who is faithful with the little things will be made ruler over much more. What happened to the one who buried his talent? “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’” (Matthew 25:26-28)

If you are not faithful with the little things not only will you not be given more, but even what you have will be taken. Sometimes in life, the deck really is stacked against you. I grew up in poverty, abused, uneducated and was even homeless.

You can choose to complain about who got a better hand in life than you. Or you can seek to be faithful with what you were given. You might even be someone who was given many talents, but if you aren’t being faithful, you are setting yourself up to lose it all. Are you living faithfully? Let me know in the comments below and remember to pass this message of encouragement on to your family and friends!

We’ve already reached the midpoint in the week, which means you might already be feeling burned out. Join us for The Dani Johnson Show at 7 am on or demand when you’re ready to tune in! Check out where you can find us on your TV or radio today or simply stream the show live right here on our website. Please join me today for this uplifting discussion!

In great faith,

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