A few weeks ago, I was on vacation in Cape Cod. I traveled throughout the region, making my way up to Plymouth and Boston. One thing that struck me was how much more visible signs of wealth were than what I see in Philadelphia. I took a few tours in the area, and I was sticker-shocked at the cost of real estate. I joked to my husband about how many books I needed to sell in order to afford property there. I started wondering what separates a wealthy entrepreneur from the next guy, especially when the entrepreneur comes from humble means. We joked around about needing a good product like ketchup, as in the Heinz family.
The desire to be successful starting springing up within me, and as I've identified previously, I don't necessarily equate success with a dollar value. In fact, I understood that the definition of success to me was to steward my potential, gifts, and talents. There are dreams the Lord has put in my heart that came right back to me. In the last few weeks, I've been giving them more attention. I'd set them aside for a while, but I've begun to think and dream about how to make these ideas come to fruition.
I see a precedent in scripture. The Parable of the Talents, in Matthew 25 talks about proper stewardship of the "talents" the Lord gives you. God honors those who are faithful and diligent, and He gives them more (verse 29). To the unwise steward, He takes away his/her talent to give to someone who's faithful. I urge you to read verse 30; it's sobering. The fearful servant who hides the "talent" is cast out. It's an admonition to us all to be faithful the little or much He gives us.
How does one steward a talent?
Pray. The Lord gives us wisdom (James 1:5). You need wisdom regarding the timing. Once the Lord has given you the "What", you'll need to discern the "When" and the "How".
Journal. Write dreams down. There's something powerful about putting ideas on paper and having them for future reference. Put them somewhere that will allow you to edit or add to what you initially record.
Partner. Find someone trustworthy, wise, and of sound godly counsel to walk along side of you. (Ecclesiastes 4:9)
Step out in Faith. Like Peter, we can exercise our faith to step out of the "boat". You can step out by asking questions to find out how to accomplish your goals. You can step out by volunteering to serve. You can step out by talking to others and sharing your "talent".
The greatest satisfaction of a Christian life well-lived is to love God and to serve Him faithfully with all your might. You have a divine appointment and calling. It is your responsibility (and no one else's) to steward your potential, gifts, and talents.