faithful in that which is another's

If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?

Luke 16:11-12

With these words, Jesus puts into perspective all the stuff of life and all the pursuits of wealth. An eternal perspective must drive the way we utilize our earthly resources. Money is a measure of the human heart. What I will quickly spend money or resources upon is the quickest measure of what my heart truly treasures. Stewarding my life will show the world my values. 

Before my finger points at some unscrupulous CEO who plunders a dying company before exiting with a golden parachute leaving employees jobless, I better look at my own heart. By global standards, I am incredibly wealthy. In fact, any American making more than 30K a year is in the top 1.25% of the richest people worldwide. That's right... from a global persepective I'm filthy, stinking rich. Don't believe me? Go to www.globalrichlist.com and key in your income and let the facts speak for themselves. The question becomes: What do I do with my wealth?

Jesus' point is that in order to be entrusted with advancing His kingdom (true riches), I must be first faithful in what I have in my life (unrighteous wealth). Even that is on loan to me from God since I will die one day. I'm pretty sure nobody gets to take their checkbook or investment portfolio to the judgment to pay any debts or fines to the Almighty! But by being faithful with what I do have now, I can store up heavenly treasure by investing in eternity.

O Lord,

I want to be faithful with what I have been given in life. And so I trust You as I seek to share the gospel (true wealth) and Your provision (worldly wealth) in this world.

Amen