This is a parable worth pondering. What are your management capabilities? How well do you take care of what is entrusted to you?

There is an old question about leadership you have heard. It asks, “Are leaders born or made?” I heard John Maxwell say one time, “Of course they’re born. There’s no other way to get here.” 

That sounds like a pretty good answer.

Maxwell went on to say that each of us has a measure of leadership capacity that we have the responsibility to steward well. We are to develop our skills and abilities so that we can maximize or optimize our productivity. 

One of the first things we notice in this parable about the Kingdom of Heaven is how the businessman who was going on a long trip entrusted his wealth to three of his employees “dividing it in proportion to their abilities.” 

One received five shares, another received two, and the third received one. The big question for each of us as we assess ourselves is which capacity our employer says we have. How do you assess yourself? Are you a five-share, two-share, or one-share worker?

What measure of productivity have you demonstrated to this point? 

A man was talking about his work one day and said, “It’s my job to show up. It’s their job to see if they can get anything out of me.” What share do you think he would receive if this parable were applied to him? 

Showing up, you have heard, is half the battle. The other half is doing the work. The better we prepare ourselves intellectually, physically, relationally, emotionally, and spiritually, the better we perform. 

If you are a one-share employee, which of the areas of preparation in the paragraph above requires the most improvement to nudge you in the direction of a two-share employee? Ditto for moving from two-share to five-share. And if you are a five-share employee, who are you helping move from one-share and two-share status to the next level? 

There is so much more gold in this story. We will lean into it a bit more tomorrow.

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For now, I will identify the area of life where I require the most improvement.

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Our Father, how do you see my current capacities? Where do I need to improve? What is your growth plan for my life? I trust you to guide me through these thoughts and to provide for me what I need to move from where I am to where you want me to be. Amen.