30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 16 1-13 God's Regents 12 Put to use God’s money with godly wisdom
📖 Luke 16:1-13
31Mar2020 - *Put to use God’s money with godly wisdom* - _Luke 16:1-13_ - Bible reading: _Matthew 25:25-30_
_Luke 16:12 And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?_
Yesterday, we concluded by saying, “the freedom and joy of perceiving all the money that we have as God’s, has to be experienced to appreciate the truth”. What we see today in the body of Christ is that though we intellectually give assent to this truth, we do not live by this principle.
How can I make such a claim? The evidence is because a significant percentage of us are anxious. Our anxiety stems from the fact that we hold money as though it is ours and not God’s. Medical science has proved that more than 50% of all diseases have their root cause in anxiety.
Taking care of God's money for His purposes, in His wisdom, is not optional but mandatory. Firstly, we must live out of the understanding that all the money that we have is God’s and secondly, we must put to use God’s money that He has placed in our hands, for His purposes, *with His wisdom*. This is mandatory and not optional.
We go back to the parable of the master and the servants, who were given differing amounts of money. What went terribly wrong with the third servant?
_Matthew 25:25-30 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.'_ He acknowledged that the money was not his but the master’s. He had no difficulty at this point. So, it is with the majority of us. We all, very quickly accept that all that we have is God’s and not ours. The problem begins after this acknowledgement.
_(26) "But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed._ Just acknowledging that all that I have in my hands is God’s and that it does not belong to me, will not save us. It is from this point onwards that the test truly begins. If I have acknowledged that all that is in my hands is God’s, have I sought God for His wisdom to put to use His money for His purposes? If I have not done so, He will call me, “wicked and lazy servant”.
Do we want to hear that declaration from God about us? Please remember that the master spoke these words to the third servant, in the attendance of the other servants.
_(27) So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. (28) So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. (29) 'For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. (30) And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'_
Then the gavel comes down. “Cast out the unprofitable servant…”
Taking care of God's money for His purposes, in His wisdom, is not optional but mandatory.
*Thought to ponder*
```I choose to be a profitable servant.```