Being Faithful in All Things
Luke 16:1-8,10-13:
Jesus said to His disciples: A rich man once had a manager to take care of his business. But he was told that his manager was wasting money. So the rich man called him in and said, "What is this I hear about you? Tell me what you have done! You are no longer going to work for me."
The manager said to himself, "What shall I do now that my master is going to fire me? I can't dig ditches, and I'm ashamed to beg. I know what I'll do, so that people will welcome me into their homes after I've lost my job."
Then one by one he called in the people who were in debt to his master.
He asked the first one, "How much do you owe my master?"
"A hundred barrels of olive oil," the man answered.
So the manager said, "Take your bill and sit down and quickly write 'fifty'."
The manager asked someone else who was in debt to his master, "How much do you owe?"
"A thousand bushels of wheat," the man replied. The manager said, "Take your bill and write 'eight hundred'."
The master praised his dishonest manager for looking out for himself so well.
That's how it is today! The people of the world look out for themselves better than any other.
Anyone who can be trusted in little matters can also be trusted in important matters. But anyone who is dishonest in little matters will be dishonest in important matters.
If you cannot be trusted with the wicked mans wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you cannot be trusted with what belongs to someone else, who will give you something that will be your own? You cannot be the slave to two masters. You will like the one more than the other or be more loyal to one more than the other. You cannot serve God and money.
We want the biggest and the best………and we want it right now! We don't want second best, and we don't want it next week. We want it right now, this very minute!
A newly wed couple started out right away, by purchasing a new house, a new car, and new furniture for the house.
After just a year and a half year of marriage, they were under such a financial strain, that it came down to ending their marriage or letting things go back or selling them to pay off their debt.
The husband was willing to let things go back in order to save the marriage, but the wife loved her house, her car and her furniture so much that she divorced her husband and lived alone in the house.
After another year of living and struggling alone, she realized what she had had and wanted her husband back, however when she called him, willing to give it all up, her ex-husband's new wife answered the phone. She lost the only man she had ever loved for 'things' that no longer brought her joy and happiness.
This thinking is part of our culture today and is kept alive and well in our hearts by pride and selfishness.
When we become Christians, we "Christianize" this tendency. But Jesus said it doesn't work that way in the Christian life.
Jesus said in Mark 10:31, But many who are first will be last, and the many who are last will be first.
Jesus also stressed that we must be faithful in the small things. (Found above in Luke 16:10-12).
Luke wrote that only the steward who is faithful in little things shall be given greater responsibilities.
Luke 12:42-44,48:
"Who then is that faithful and wise Steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all he has......for everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom, much has been committed, of him they will ask the more"
A portion of my testimony: In 1984 I began working at Wheelhouse, a group home for 12 physically/mentally challenged wheelchair adults. I began working as the evening cook. After eight months of being faithful and dependable, I was asked to Supervise Wheelhouse II which had just opened up. After two years as supervisor, I was asked to manage both group homes and six apartments, which had a total of 24 physically/mentally challenged wheelchair adults and a staff of 42 people. (Wheelhouse was home to our residents and required around the clock staff).
In 1994 I was asked to take the job of being a Residential Living Specialist which required more school, more collage work and a Bachelor Degree. After four years I was asked to teach in a classroom setting, which I did for the next 5-6 years. This also required a Bachelor Degree, which I did not have, however the state recognized my past experience as the equivalence of the degree I needed.
For the next 2 ½ years, I worked for Governor Bush as an advocate for the handicapped, senior citizens, then eventually also for children in the district I lived in which involved two different counties. During this time I also had the care of my disabled husband and his elderly mother. (She lived with us for 5 years).
To be given greater things, we must first be faithful with the small things.
As we pray and make our requests known to God, let us remember to include: humility, wisdom and strength not only for our own activities as we go through the week, but also for our Christians brothers and sisters.
Let us also remember Philippians 4:19, "My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus".
Also, be sure to confess those things the Holy Ghost brings to our minds and ask forgiveness over them and pray for God to make us into the stewards He would have us to be in order to work for Him.
Prayer: Dear God and Heavenly Father, help us to treat others fairly and treat others as we want others to treat us. Help us to be faithful in everything we do and say. In Jesus Name we pray. Amen
Portions of this article is from "Crosswalk", found on the web, January 16, 2000.
The testimony portion is that of Candace Mills.
Jesus said to His disciples: A rich man once had a manager to take care of his business. But he was told that his manager was wasting money. So the rich man called him in and said, "What is this I hear about you? Tell me what you have done! You are no longer going to work for me."
The manager said to himself, "What shall I do now that my master is going to fire me? I can't dig ditches, and I'm ashamed to beg. I know what I'll do, so that people will welcome me into their homes after I've lost my job."
Then one by one he called in the people who were in debt to his master.
He asked the first one, "How much do you owe my master?"
"A hundred barrels of olive oil," the man answered.
So the manager said, "Take your bill and sit down and quickly write 'fifty'."
The manager asked someone else who was in debt to his master, "How much do you owe?"
"A thousand bushels of wheat," the man replied. The manager said, "Take your bill and write 'eight hundred'."
The master praised his dishonest manager for looking out for himself so well.
That's how it is today! The people of the world look out for themselves better than any other.
Anyone who can be trusted in little matters can also be trusted in important matters. But anyone who is dishonest in little matters will be dishonest in important matters.
If you cannot be trusted with the wicked mans wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you cannot be trusted with what belongs to someone else, who will give you something that will be your own? You cannot be the slave to two masters. You will like the one more than the other or be more loyal to one more than the other. You cannot serve God and money.
We want the biggest and the best………and we want it right now! We don't want second best, and we don't want it next week. We want it right now, this very minute!
A newly wed couple started out right away, by purchasing a new house, a new car, and new furniture for the house.
After just a year and a half year of marriage, they were under such a financial strain, that it came down to ending their marriage or letting things go back or selling them to pay off their debt.
The husband was willing to let things go back in order to save the marriage, but the wife loved her house, her car and her furniture so much that she divorced her husband and lived alone in the house.
After another year of living and struggling alone, she realized what she had had and wanted her husband back, however when she called him, willing to give it all up, her ex-husband's new wife answered the phone. She lost the only man she had ever loved for 'things' that no longer brought her joy and happiness.
This thinking is part of our culture today and is kept alive and well in our hearts by pride and selfishness.
When we become Christians, we "Christianize" this tendency. But Jesus said it doesn't work that way in the Christian life.
Jesus said in Mark 10:31, But many who are first will be last, and the many who are last will be first.
Jesus also stressed that we must be faithful in the small things. (Found above in Luke 16:10-12).
Luke wrote that only the steward who is faithful in little things shall be given greater responsibilities.
Luke 12:42-44,48:
"Who then is that faithful and wise Steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all he has......for everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom, much has been committed, of him they will ask the more"
A portion of my testimony: In 1984 I began working at Wheelhouse, a group home for 12 physically/mentally challenged wheelchair adults. I began working as the evening cook. After eight months of being faithful and dependable, I was asked to Supervise Wheelhouse II which had just opened up. After two years as supervisor, I was asked to manage both group homes and six apartments, which had a total of 24 physically/mentally challenged wheelchair adults and a staff of 42 people. (Wheelhouse was home to our residents and required around the clock staff).
In 1994 I was asked to take the job of being a Residential Living Specialist which required more school, more collage work and a Bachelor Degree. After four years I was asked to teach in a classroom setting, which I did for the next 5-6 years. This also required a Bachelor Degree, which I did not have, however the state recognized my past experience as the equivalence of the degree I needed.
For the next 2 ½ years, I worked for Governor Bush as an advocate for the handicapped, senior citizens, then eventually also for children in the district I lived in which involved two different counties. During this time I also had the care of my disabled husband and his elderly mother. (She lived with us for 5 years).
To be given greater things, we must first be faithful with the small things.
As we pray and make our requests known to God, let us remember to include: humility, wisdom and strength not only for our own activities as we go through the week, but also for our Christians brothers and sisters.
Let us also remember Philippians 4:19, "My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus".
Also, be sure to confess those things the Holy Ghost brings to our minds and ask forgiveness over them and pray for God to make us into the stewards He would have us to be in order to work for Him.
Prayer: Dear God and Heavenly Father, help us to treat others fairly and treat others as we want others to treat us. Help us to be faithful in everything we do and say. In Jesus Name we pray. Amen
Portions of this article is from "Crosswalk", found on the web, January 16, 2000.
The testimony portion is that of Candace Mills.
posted by JD Whyte @ 8:51 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home