PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Luke 16:1-9
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“Use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves.” (Luke 16:9)
God created us to be very smart, creative and industrious.
It has often struck me how skilled we can be for bad reasons.
Why not put our skills to use for eternal purposes?
‘People of this world’ are very clever and skilled.
Jesus urges us to use these skills for eternal purposes.
“Be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16)
Jesus means holy shrewdness, not deceptive or manipulative.
Use time, gifts, education, resources to draw people to God.
Make friends through kindness, generosity, grace, patience.
One day they will thank you for how you graced them.
Those blessed like this will be our future welcoming committee!
We are graced to shine like people of light in this dark world.
Do I use my blessings to bless others, so they can experience Jesus?
Am I being a wise, shrewd, creative, industrious steward for eternity?
PRAYER
Lord, help me to find clever ways to love, grace and bless others… to win them by your love!
How can I become more clever or ‘shrewd’ in the right way – for the Kingdom. Jesus lauded that our neighbours who do not believe (are not people of the light) are more clever when it comes to dealing with their own kind: For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.” I’ve experienced that to be true – but then I do I get the insights or get a better understanding as to what is happening – maybe not to be shrewd in the same way – but to be clever in dealing with those who do not believe. Help me to use my assets to when ‘friends’ or get an audience so that people may have a chance to hear the gospel? It means I have to be willing to interact with them while staying a person of the ‘light’ – for that I need the HS’s help! Help me Lord to be shrewd in the right way!
The Lord God has blessed me so that I can be a blessing unto oters. The resources are not just for me, myself and I, but to be used in His service to serve others. Pare. Care. Share. The resources in this His world are to be shared and so are mine through actions and deeds. All that I have I owe to Him. May others see the love of God in me by what I say and do with the blessings received to share with those near and far by giving and serving with those blessings.
1 All that I am I owe to Thee;
Thy wisdom, Lord, has fashioned me.
I give my Maker thankful praise,
whose wondrous works my soul amaze.
2 Ere into being I was brought,
Thine eye did see, and in Thy thought
my life in all its perfect plan
was ordered ere my days began.
3 Thy thoughts, O God, how manifold,
more precious unto me than gold!
I muse on their infinity,
awaking I am still with Thee.
4 The wicked Thou wilt surely slay;
from me let sinners turn away.
They speak against the Name divine;
I count God’s enemies as mine.
5 Search me, O God, my heart discern;
try me, my inmost thought to learn;
and lead me, if in sin I stray,
to choose the everlasting way.