Rom 7:15 (NIV) I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. This is a person who has had a lot of world training. They have had A LOT of success in their human life. But, now that they are a Christian, they are finding that all they have learned and all they have got good at isn’t working in the Christian life. They have become a child of God, a member of His family, and a citizen in His Kingdom by using a procedure that would NEVER work in the human world.

Rom 10:8 (NIV) But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your MOUTH and in your HEART,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: This isn’t a technique you learned in your human school. All through life you have been learning how to use your hands and legs to get things done. Jesus was trying to show His disciples how the spirit realm works; so He explained it this way: Mat 17:19-20 (NIV) Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have FAITH as small as a mustard seed, you can SAY to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Gal 4:1-2 (NIV) What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. You are like a child playing with toys; the earth is like a child’s play room with all kinds of training devices designed to help the child learn how the adult world works. As a child of God, you are going to be receiving incredible opportunities and power once you enter into eternity. So, your heavenly Father is keeping you in this physical “play room” where you will only be able to do as little damage as possible.

Jesus is using the illustration in Luke 19:12-26 to help us understand how our succeeding on earth effects our opportunities in eternity. Luke 19:12-13 (NIV) He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’

Luke 19:14-15a (NIV) But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’ He was made king, however, and returned home.

Luke 19:15b-17 (NIV) Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’ ‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘BECAUSE you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’

Luke 19:18-19 (NIV) The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’ His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’

Luke 19:20-23 (NIV) Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’ His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’

Luke 19:24-26 (NIV) Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’ ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’ He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. This is illustrating the fact that what you do on earth has EVERYTHING to do with who you are and what you do in eternity.

As a Christian, your life may not look all that different from someone who hasn’t accepted Jesus as their Lord, Savior, and King. You may have just as much money, possessions, positions, power, popularity, prestige, pleasure, and accomplishments as an unsaved person. BUT, HOW you got it and WHY you got it will be the deciding factor as to how successful you are. If the reason WHY you got these things was because you LOVE money, possessions, positions, power, popularity, prestige, pleasure, and accomplishments, and if you USED people to get them, you are a failure on earth and in eternity. However, if you use these things to help people, your prosperity will help you win in this life and in your eternal life.

Jesus used a spiritual illustration to help us see the difference between hording and sharing: Luke 12:16-19 (NIV) And He told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to STORE my crops.’ Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will STORE all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things LAID UP for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”

Luke 12:20-21 (NIV) But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will GET what you have PREPARED for yourself?’ This is how it will be with anyone who STORES up THINGS for himself but is not RICH toward God.” Jesus will be teaching you a way to get money, possessions, positions, power, popularity, prestige, pleasure, and accomplishments so you can share them with hurting, helpless, needy people. And, He will show you how to use them without it being a handout. You won’t be a superior person helping an inferior person. You will be a loving person sharing the wonderful blessings of God with people Jesus directs you to.