Matthew 13:10 [Jesus] answered, “…it has been given to you to know the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it has not been given to them. For anyone who has something will be given more, so that he will have plenty; but from anyone who has nothing, even what he does have will be taken away.”
A few years back there was a wildly popular movie and book called “The Secret”. Many of you probably remember it and some probably viewed the movie or read the book. The Secret was a compilation of success gurus who informed us what it takes to be successful in this world. Well today, I’ve got a little twist on The Secret and would like to offer that there is in fact, a secret that govern one’s success, wealth and prosperity in this world. Based on Biblical wisdom, this secret runs a bit counterintuitive to most of our thinking. The secret is found embedded in the 13th chapter of Matthew. It’s message is profound as it broadens the concept that success and wealth are confined only to a person’s bank account and possessions.
The Secret?: Anyone who has something will get more and anyone who has nothing will lose even what they have. This truth is a foundational principle in the Kingdom of Heaven. So what can we learn from this secret that instructs us on wealth, success and prosperity? At least 3 important lessons flow out of this secret.
The Secret is ancient. Hey, we humans are always looking for that next “one big thing” that sizzles and changes everything. But God’s secret has been around for a while. In fact, it has been “hidden since the creation of the universe” but is now revealed…those who have will get more and those who don’t lose what they have. Now I can hear the critics saying that it ought not be that way and to that I will simply say that like gravity itself some things have been established and are timeless classics. As hard as you may try to change it, reform it, scrap it altogether, or get mad about it, the truth remains. God’s secret is one of those things.
The Secret is not for everyone. In Matthew 13, we find Jesus speaking to a diverse crowd. Among the people are prominent businessmen, religious leaders and of course, Jesus’ handpick band of brothers otherwise known as disciples! When Jesus began to speak of the secret, his intentions to hide it from some while reveal it to others is blatantly obvious. His words “it has been given to you to understand” cue us that the secret is not for everyone. The opportunity is for everyone, but not the secret. For whatever reason, there are those who will understand and those who will not. One can spend a lot of time trying to get those who won’t hear to accept this…but they won’t! They will cling to their ideas that the way to get ahead in this world is to hoard and accumulate their possessions, spend all your time trying to hold on tightly to what you have or even worse, try to pry out of the hands of those who do “get it” what is not rightfully theirs. But the Kingdom doesn’t work that way. No matter how much one wants to level the playing fields and redistribute the blessings, to those who have more shall be given and to those who have little it shall be taken away! …All will not hear.
The Secret is not fair. The Kingdom of Heaven is not based on fairness! Its not. I can tell you that some of the roughest periods of my life have been when I assumed otherwise. Those were the times that I demanded that God be fair…that is, according to my definition of fair! But from a human logic perspective, the Kingdom is not fair and Jesus is telling us as much. For anyone who has something will be given more, so that he will have plenty; but from anyone who has nothing, even what he does have will be taken away.
Again, I hear the masses crying out, “Hey, that’s not fair! The wealth should be shared equally! The wealth should be spread around!” Then I hear the words of the late Jim Rohn echoing in my brain replying to the masses “well when you get your own planet you can set it up the way you want! Until then, we’re just a guest on this one!” Protest all you want but when the smoke clears you’ll find that you spent a lot of time and valuable emotional energy fuming about the deal! But the bottom line is that the Kingdom of Heaven responds to those who are doing their jobs, maintaining faithful diligence and being good stewards of what God has placed in their care. I don’t care whether we are talking about winning souls, managing money, raising kids or just trying to do your job, the principle is the same: if you got something and you are faithful with it, expect more! If you’re not, expect even less! Every good businessman or woman worth his or her weight in salt knows you don’t put the slacker in charge…the bonus goes to the faithful worker.
Think about it…until we talk again, may you prosper and be in good health!
