Managing Well and Making Friends
(Jesus said) And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. - Luke 16:9
Jesus shares the parable of the manager, or steward who was entrusted with his master’s property. He did not do well with this task, and the parable is a reminder of our call to manage what God has given. One day we will give to him an account. So, I ask, how do you manage? In our calling before God we are to have an eye to the future. We are to be investing in what is to come, caring for others, sharing his light that these may await us in the life of the world to come!
Simply said, we’re called to care enough about our eternal future and that of others that we focus on things eternal. Again, how do you manage? Ask yourself how might you shine his light in how you live? We’re all called also to give of ourselves in this life of faith. This is what scripture calls stewardship, managing gifts he gives as we live. So, Jesus says, “Make friends for yourselves…” This is about making lasting relations as God’s kingdom comes, that is, as he calls Christians to come in. We invest ourselves by sharing love for the neighbor, shining the light that others might one day share together with us an eternal forever.
This underscores what it means to be gathered as people of God, friends in faith, friends forever! As scripture says, we’re to love all people, but especially those of the household of faith. And as we make friends in faith and share that friendship, we also share together in His friendship. As his children in Christ, we are given to manage all that God has given to us, to love our lord and neighbor in faith with our very lives.
Our weekend for stewardship devotion this year will be on November the 14th and 15th . At both services we will have the opportunity to offer our lives and our very selves before our Lord! May the Lord enable us then to live the life of faith with a focus on the future.
By God’s grace may we use what is his for that eternal welcome one day. With the gifts he gives may God help us to manage well and make friends for eternity!
Pastor