August 31. Luke 16.George Manolov

Be a Good Steward of God’s Provision

The parable of the unjust steward depicts a man who was clever, shrewd, and used money available to him to secure a future. I pictured in my mind corporate America – corruption, embezzlement, greed. The manager was going to be fired, and he took advantage of the time. He worked deals with his master's debtors, to then indebt them to him, so that when he was let go from his current position, they would be obligated to receive him.  He was securing his future well-being by very shrewd use of money.  

Jesus said sometimes people in the world are far shrewder in planning for their future with the use of money than are the sons of light.  He is telling us that we need to be very wise in how we use our money with a view to the future, and not an earthly future, but a heavenly future. In Luke 16:9, use your money so that someday when you go to heaven there will be people there welcoming you, ones who have been reached by the gospel through how you used your money.  You gave to the church to the spread of the gospel, and as a result, they were reached (apparently God will let them know who were reached by your gifts so they can be there to welcome you when you arrive).  

Money is necessary, an earthly commodity. The Bible teaches that all that you have comes from God, and He gave it to us.  It's a trust. It's a stewardship, but it's from Him, and He wants us to have it.  The Bible teaches that all money is really God's.  He sovereignly gives it in differing amounts to people, and especially to His own people.  Haggai 2:8 reads, “’The silver and the gold is Mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”  Well, if it's His, if it's all His, then what I get from it comes from Him, through my skills, my talents, my work.  Deuteronomy 8:18 reminds us, “You shall remember the Lord your God…” (ESV).  

Unfortunately, money can become our master. If you are spending more than you have or you want what somebody else has, you are thinking materialistically and not storing up treasures in heaven (Matt. 6:20).

As a banker, I can talk all day long about the importance of saving. Proverbs 21:20 says, “There is precious treasure and oil in the house of the wise.  The foolish man swallows it up” (NASB).  

I see people’s financial woes every day, and it is not pretty. You spend all you earn. To rephase Proverbs 21:20: The fool eats everything, consumes everything and has nothing stored up. We need to learn to live on a margin, within our means, and we need to learn to be obedient to the Word of God.

Let me ask you this: How can you respond to the opportunities to give, and how can you invest in the kingdom of God if you are completely upside down (owe much more than you earn)? How will you give for Special missions if you are tens of thousands in credit card debt, and you are spending somebody's money to pay off somebody else whose money you spent?  I call this “vicious revolving credit.”  If you have more going out than you have coming in, and you are living on credit, then you have no discretionary income. You have no margin, you have no saving, and you can't respond to God's call. You are not a good steward of God’s money.

Imagine Jesus walks in Hampton Roads Church one Sunday and says, “Anybody who would like to forsake everything, follow me out the side door.” Oh, boy, a reaction might be, “But Jesus, I have $50K in credit card debt, and it would take me 83 years to pay it off.”

To not miss your calling give, and as Jesus reminds us, “It more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Therefore, be a good steward of what God has provided.