In Luke 16, Jesus tells a parable about a lazy steward or money manager, and the owner informs the steward that he needs to get his affairs in order because he is being fired. “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—I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’”
The Truth about you is that you have three choices, when it comes to money:
Digger - work your tail off and do it for a long time, to acquire the resources you need. Work hard, hold on, and don’t waste anything. And hopefully - and it is hopefully - it will be enough
Beggar - View life and others like they owe you something. Beg life, work, family and others to give you what you yearn for, without having to earn it yourself.
Steward - And this is the cool part - Jesus shows us exactly what it means to be one who views all of your resources as on loan from God, and yourself as a steward of those resources on His behalf. Back to the story:
The steward then calls in clients and cuts their bills to save them money. Some get 50% discounted, others less, but everyone gets a deal, and they are grateful!
The owner actually commends the steward for being so shrewd.
What?
The owner recognizes that the steward is now thinking like a business person! Trading one thing for a thing of greater value. He is actually proud of the steward for choosing business practices that achieve a greater end. It is this principle that Jesus is applauding and trying to communicate to the audience and to us.
Jesus added, “For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. 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. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
It strikes me that the whole point is Jesus teaching us how to be good stewards of the resources that have been entrusted to us, but which actually belong to God. We cannot serve both God and money, so Jesus is teaching us how to use God’s money, entrusted to our care, God’s way. This is how to submit your money to the will of God. It is also the way to make God smile and applaud your shrewd use of resources. This is how to demonstrate yourself as trustworthy to God..
You ready?
Use your money and possessions in such a way that people will want to welcome you into their homes and lives.
That’s it.
It really is that simple. It is also that brilliant!
If I view my money as God’s money
And I use God’s money entirely in ways that make people want to welcome me into their lives and homes
Then I will be generous, open-handed, and empowering to others.
This will loosen the grip money has on my heart and free me from the fears of having no money
This will demonstrate something powerful to others
This will turn my life into a steady flow of resources from God, because He can trust that I will pass them on
This will change the world and prepare me for eternity.
All of that from one simple guiding principle: use your money in ways that make people want to welcome you into their homes and lives.
This is financial and stewardship genius!