WALKING WITH THE FRIEND OF SINNERS Day 84

Read Luke 16:1-18

tHE PARABLE OF THE SHREWD MANAGER
Your use of money is a good test of the lordship of Christ. 1) Use your resources wisely because they belong to God, and not to you. 2) Money can be used for good or evil; use yours for good. 3) Money has a lot of power, so you must use it carefully and thoughtfully. 4) You must use your material goods in a way that will foster faith and obedience.
You must make wise use of the financial opportunities you have, not to earn heaven but to help people find Christ. If you use your money to help those in need or to help those in need or to help others find Christ, your earthly investment will bring eternal benefit. When you obey God’s will, the unselfish use of possessions will follow.
Your integrity is often put on the line in money matters. God calls you to be honest even in small details we could easily ignore. Heaven’s riches are far more valuable than earthly wealth. But if you are not trustworthy with your money here on earth, you will be unfit to handle the vast richness of God’s kingdom. See that you maintain your integrity in all matters, whether big or small.
Money has the power to take God’s place in your life. It can become your master. How can you tell if you are a slave to money? 1) Do you think and worry about it frequently? 2) Do you give up doing what you should do or would like to do in order to make more money? 3) Do you spend a great deal of your time caring for your possessions? 4) Is it hard for you to give money away? 5) Are you in so much debt that you can’t repay?
Money is a hard master and a deceptive one. Wealth promises power and control, but often it cannot deliver. Great fortunes can be made and lost over night, and no amount of money can provide health, happiness, or eternal life. How much better is it to let God be your master. His servants have peace of mind and security, both now and forever.

Because the Pharisees loved money, they took exception to Jesus’ teaching. You live in an age that measures people’s worth by how much they make. Do you scoff at Jesus’ warnings about money? Do you try to explain them away? Do you apply them to someone else? Unless you take Jesus’ statements seriously, you are no more different than the Pharisees.
The Pharisees acted piously to get praise from others, but God knew what was in their hearts. They considered their wealth as a sign of God’s approval. God detested their wealth because it caused them to abandon true spirituality. Though prosperity may earn people’s praise, it must never substitute for devotion and service to God.
Most religious leaders in Jesus’ day permitted a man to divorce his wife for nearly any reason. Jesus’ teaching about divorce went beyond Moses’ teaching. Stricter than any current schools of thought, Jesus’ teachings shocked His hearers, just as they shock today’s readers. Jesus says in no uncertain terms that marriage is a lifetime commitment. To leave your spouse for another person may be legal, but it is adultery in God’s eyes. As you think about marriage, remember that God intends it to be a permanent commitment.