Luke 16: 1 -- 15
1 Jesus told his disciples: "There was a rich man whose manager was
accused of wasting his possessions. 2 So he called him in and asked him,
What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be
manager any longer.' 3 "The manager said to himself, What shall I do
now? My master is taking away my job. I'm not strong enough to dig, and I'm ashamed to
beg-- 4 I know what I'll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will
welcome me into their houses.' 5 "So he called in each one of
his master's debtors. He asked the first, How much do you owe my master? ' 6 "Eight
hundred gallons of olive oil, 'he replied. " The manager told him, Take your bill,
sit down quickly, and make it four hundred.' 7 "Then he asked the
second, And how much do you owe? '" A thousand bushels of wheat,' he replied.
"He told him, Take your bill and make it eight hundred.' 8 "The
master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of
this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the
light. 9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves,
so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. 10
"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever
is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if
you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true
riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's
property, who will give you property of your own? 13 "No servant can
serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted
to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." 14
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15
He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God
knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight.
Point to Ponder: Life is a test and a trust.
Question to Consider: What has happened
to me recently that I now realize was a test from God?
What are the greatest trusts God has entrusted to me?
The Bible says
life is a test, life is a trust, and life is a temporary assignment.
These ideas are the foundation of purpose
driven living. To fulfill the purposes God created you for, you’ll have to challenge
conventional wisdom and replace it with the biblical metaphors of life.
When you understand that life is a test
you realize that nothing is insignificant.
(James 1:12 NIV) Blessed is the man
who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown
of life that God has promised to those who love him.
Never forget
that everything in your life really belongs to God: your home, children, job, everything.
You’re just a caretaker, a trustee, a steward of it all. It’s your privilege to
enjoy it but it’s also your responsibility to faithfully use it the way God wants it
used.
Christian live by a higher standard.
“Because God owns it, I must take the best care of it that I can.
(1 Corinthians 4:2 NIV) Now it is required that those who have been given a
trust must prove faithful.
If you treat
everything as a trust, God promises three rewards in eternity.
1.) God’s
affirmation: He’ll say, Good job,
Well done.
(Mat 25:21 NIV) "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You
have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and
share your master's happiness!'
2.) You will
receive a Promotion: You have been
faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.
3.)
Then,
you’ll be honored with a Celebration:
Come and share your master's happiness!'
