At first glance, Jesus’ words in Matthew 13:12 can feel uncomfortable and even harsh.
Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.
Matthew 13:12 (NIV)
It sounds like a law of unfair advantage: The rich get richer, the poor get poorer. But when Scripture is read carefully, especially alongside the New Living Translation, a deeper principle emerges, one that governs learning, growth, character, and even life itself.
To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given… But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away.
Matthew 13:12 (NLT)
This is not about favoritism; it is about attention, engagement, and response.
This is a Law, Not a Punishment
Matthew 13:12 describes a law, not a curse, a pattern, and not a threat. Life naturally expands what is used and erodes what is neglected.
- Muscles grow when exercised and weaken when ignored.
- Skills sharpen with practice and decay without use.
- Understanding deepens when applied and fades when dismissed.
And as such, Jesus is describing how reality works, not inventing a moral trap.
What Does It Mean to “Have”?
In this context, having does not mean owning possessions or privilege. It means having attentiveness, receptivity, and willingness to respond. To “have” is to:
- Listen actively
- Reflect seriously
- Apply faithfully
- Value what has been received
Those who treat insight lightly lose it, and those who treasure understanding gain more of it.
The Law of Attention
Attention is the gateway to growth. Whatever we consistently attend to:
- Grows clearer
- Becomes more familiar
- Deepens in meaning
- Expands in influence
And the reverse is the same, whatever we ignore slowly disappears from our lives, not because it was stolen, but because it was starved. And this explains why some people grow wiser with time, and others grow duller despite exposure to truth
The difference is not access; it is attention.
Growth is Cumulative
Understanding compounds, and each insight builds upon the last if and only if it is used. Those who act on what they know are given more clarity, but those who ignore what they know lose sensitivity to truth.
And this is why spiritual stagnation often begins with small acts of neglect:
- Delayed obedience
- Ignored conviction
- And unapplied lessons
Loss rarely happens suddenly; it happens gradually.
A common approach to self-improvement involves setting a big goal and then trying to take huge leaps to achieve it in the shortest time possible. Although this sounds great in theory, it can often lead to burnout, frustration, or failure. Instead, we should be focusing on continuous improvement and slowly but surely changing our everyday habits and behaviors.
Continuous improvement refers to the commitment to make small changes and improvements each day with the expectation that these small improvements will lead to something more.
Continue Reading: The Compounding Effect: The Power of Small Incremental Improvements
Loss is Passive, Not Aggressive
Notice something important: Not everything is forcibly taken away. And so many times, what is “taken” is usually what was already slipping through indifference.
- Discernment fades when ignored.
- Conviction dulls when resisted.
- Wisdom becomes dull when unused.
So many many times loss is often the result of inaction, not opposition.
And this principle feels so unfair because for so many of us, we expect neutrality. We assume that standing still should preserve what we have, but life does not work that way. There is no neutral ground. You are either growing or declining. Maintenance is a myth in spiritual and intellectual life.
Self-Development Through This Lens
This teaching applies far beyond faith:
- The reader who reads daily understands more.
- The thinker who reflects deeply thinks more clearly.
- The disciplined person grows stronger.
- And the distracted person grows weaker.
Those who invest gain, and those who neglect lose, not because life is cruel but because it is consistent.
A Call to Steward What You Have
Matthew 13:12 is very very much an invitation, not just a warning, because it calls you to:
- Value what you have already received
- Practice what you already know
- Apply what you already understand
You do not only need more truth to grow, you also very very much need to honor the truth you already have.
Read Also: The Parable of The Talents: We Must Increase What We Have Been Given
Read Also: The Law of Deliberate Practice: Turning Effort into Excellence
Read Also: The Strength, The Struggle, and The Growth: The Lessons From Nietzsche’s Tree
Conclusion
And so the law is very very simple: What you nurture expands! What you neglect diminishes!
Attention leads to abundance! Neglect leads to loss! So listen carefully! Practice faithfully! Steward wisely!
Because in life, and very very much as Jesus taught: What you do with what you have determines whether you receive more or slowly lose even that.
