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Held AccountableBy Tim BuchananRead Luke 16:1-2
It never ceases to amaze me how many Christians think money is evil and bad. Because of this, they don't learn how to use it, how to keep track of it, or how to invest it. They feel the most spiritual approach they can take to money is to ignore it. Others think because it is evil, they can misuse it. Some think since it is evil, they do not have to work hard for it and anyone who does work hard is worldly. Nothing could be further from the truth. Christian leaders should be very good managers of material possessions. They should know how to use money, how to invest money and never let money master them. Most people who get mastered by money and material possessions are those who do not understand how to use it. They excuse it because they think they are too spiritual to be soiled with it. As a Christian leader, in the home, at work, or in the church, would you have any idea what I was talking about if I spoke about the future value of money, the cost of money, or return on investment? Do you know how to use those concepts? Are you someone who knows how to invest money and resources? Do you understand intangibles? The less you know about money and the material, the more apt it is to rule you. While I do not believe in a health, wealth, and prosperity teaching, I do not believe that poverty is next to godliness either. I don't believe God intended for believers to be beggars, but rather good managers. We have to know how to use money and possessions wisely. In Luke 16, we read the story of the shrewd manager. Jesus is not praising this dishonest man, but giving us a comparison of how the lost are often better at handling their business than we are. We read: "Now He was also saying to the disciples, ‘There was a rich man who had a manager, and this manager was reported to him as squandering his possessions. And he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.' Luke 16:1-2 (NASB)." You and I have to give an account of our stewardship in this life. None of us own what we have. Your money, possessions, gifts, and talents all are a gift from God. How you use them is part of your service to Him and your testimony to others. Christians often get so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly good. They ignore the matters of stewardship and excuse themselves as not having time for such things.
We are not given the option of poor stewardship by
God. He will call us into account. Just like the poor manager, God
will and can take away from us that which we do not use to bring glory to
Him. If we squander our money, or fail to use and invest it wisely, He
will call us into account just like the master in this story. If you are
weak in this, then you need to read carefully what God's Word will teach us
this week. The word got around about this manager and it is getting
around about your stewardship, too. |
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