What do I do now.

On my whiteboard is a simple reminder that I look at occasionally. It says, “What’s the next most important thing to do?”

But what decides what is important? Or better, who decides what is important?

I want to look at a story that Jesus told about the Kingdom of God.

A man with great wealth and many people working for him went away. Before he went, he called three of his servants to him. They all had jobs with the estate, that was clear. But the master knew that they had different capacities, different skills. And so he gave each of them an amount of money, enough that the responsibility wouldn’t overwhelm them.

And then he left town. Two of them doubled what he had given them. One of them buried it.

The master came back. He rewarded two of them. He sent the other away.

The story is a story. It’s not a prophecy, not a warranty. Jesus wants the people listening to understand something about the Kingdom of God.

The question isn’t about how much you can make. The question isn’t about how much you can make compared to others. I don’t think the question is about getting a reward or avoiding a punishment.

The question is what do you do now with the life you have?

What does it mean to gain, what does it mean to bury?

This story is often measured in numbers. How much money can you make? How many people can come to your church? How many people can you get to come to your website? How many friends can you make? What can you invest in to double your money?

But what if that’s upside down?

This is a story about the kingdom of God. What if the kingdom is about faithfulness to God, moving ahead as God directs with God providing the strength we need? There is a both/and principle. God AND us.

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