Am I intentionally using my God given resources to bless others who will one day greet me in heaven?

1 Jesus told his disciples: "There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. (2)  So he called him in and asked him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.' (3)  "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— (4) I know what I'll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.' (5)  "So he called in each one of his master's debtors. He asked the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' (6)  "'Eight hundred gallons of olive oil,' he replied. "The manager told him, 'Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred.' (7)  "Then he asked the second, 'And how much do you owe?' "'A thousand bushels of wheat,' he replied. "He told him, 'Take your bill and make it eight hundred.' (8)  "The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. 9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

INSIGHT:  When I first read this passage, I must have had that look of a confused dog with his head held sideways.  At first glance, it seemed like Jesus was endorsing dishonesty and corruption, but of course we know He isn’t.   Jesus is again using a dramatic illustration to show us that the people of this world, (unbelievers) are better about thinking about and preparing for their future in this life, than the people of the light (believers) are, in thinking about and preparing for their eternal life.  Think of billionaires like Elon Musk, who feel the dire need to escape this planet and prepare for life elsewhere, and who are investing their money in that direction.  Think of those who are looking to Cryogenics, or those trying to download their conscience mind to a computer so they can “live” forever.  Jesus was right, the people of this world are very shrewdly thinking about and investing in their future natural lives down here. Whereas we Christians need to more shrewdly invest, by faith, in our future invisible home in heaven.

In Mat 18, Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is like a King who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.  In Mat 25, there is a Master who gave talents to his servants and went off for a long time, but then came back to take accounting of what His servants did with the talents He gave them.  And here in Luke, God can be seen as the “rich man” who is now holding to account His manager, who he believes was wasting his possessions.  We, who are born again, are all the servants spoken of in these parables, and Jesus is warning us that we all must give an accounting to God Almighty one day, of what we did with the “talents” (gifts, possessions, resources, etc.) which He gave us to invest while He has been away.  When Jesus said, “use worldly wealth”, He clearly cannot mean only money or material possessions.  Think of Elijah, John the Baptist, Peter and the disciples, and most of His most famous servants, none of which had worldly wealth, but have mostly been quite poor.  Jesus Himself had no worldly wealth but was dependent upon others for He and His disciples’ basic needs (Lk 8:3).

All that you have been given, your money, time, talents, a listening ear, a smiling face, encouraging words, hands to lift, and feet to carry; are they not all “worldly wealth” which God has given us to invest for His kingdom?  For years now I have used my speaking, writing, and video editing, laying down my private life, to bless others.  Many of them have commented that they can’t wait to meet me in heaven and tell of their appreciation.  That sounds like “friends welcoming me into eternal dwellings” just as Christ taught.

We are to be wise enough to sacrificially use what we’re given, to do good to other people, who will then greet us graciously when we get to heaven.  Think about it; every hour, or every dollar invested in the kingdom of God, rather than our temporary pleasures down here, will last forever.  This is the kind of wise and shrewd thinking God desires.  Are you wisely and intentionally sending forth treasures to heaven?