Here's the lesson:
Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your
earthly possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home. If you
are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you
are dishonest in little things, you won't be honest with greater
responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will
trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with
other people's things, why should you be trusted with things of your own? No
one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will
be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and
money." The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all this and
scoffed at him. Then He said to them, "You like to appear righteous in
public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the
sight of God." Luke 16:1-15
Running out of time or money?
Seek God First.
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The promise… You cannot serve both God and
money. That is the bottom line—God needs to be
first in your life...in my life. This dishonest manager was shrewd. Should he be
an example for us? I don’t think so. The rich man may have admired the dishonest
rascal for being so shrewd—but I for one don’t want to be like him. We are to
be honest, pure, loving and faithful. That dishonest manager did not have those
qualities. He certainly wasn’t honoring God…or his employer with his attitude
or actions. He loved money—even money that didn’t belong to him and it got him
fired. So he covered his back by cheating his boss out of even more that was due
to him. What a guy! He made himself even more detestable in God’s sight, but
that didn’t seem to matter. His lesson is to use the resources at hand to make
friends. Is that showing love to God—to use money to win friends and influence
others? Using other’s money like that manager did was a dishonest activity. It is
just not right—not ethical—and God knows a person’s heart. There it is. Put God
first—and the right things in life will fall in line.
"Do not worry then, saying, 'What will
we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' For the
Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you
need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and
all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for
tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Matthew 6:31-34 NASB
Prayer
~ Dear Lord, I want to always put You first. Guard my heart that I would seek
to live an ethical life that is pleasing and honoring to You.
Daily
Bible Reading: Isaiah 44-48
©
2017 Text and photos by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All
scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.
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