honestly dishonest

If you and I will be completely honest for a minute, we can agree that we have all been dishonest.  Maybe not all the time, but a points in time.  Jesus addressed that in a parable to 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.’ (Lk 16:1-4, NIV)

 

This parable addresses one of the most dishonest issues we deal with in life, that being money.  If you have ever been "taken advantage" of over money, you know what i mean, or better yet maybe you and I have "taken advantage" of someone else when it comes to money. 

In the parable this manager had gotten "busted" for pocketing money that was supposed to be put into the rich guys account, today we call that theft.  He brilliantly thought he pulled the scheme off.  Here is how it worked, if someone owed $100, he would take the $100, rewrite the invoice for $80, and pocket the $20.  Worked for awhile, but just like all things eventually it catches up to you, which it did him as well.  He was getting fired, so he ran out and tried to find as many people as he could that owed money and tried to cut deals with them, so he could appear to be the good guy. 

The problem is this, God knows what he was doing.  Many wonder why God won't give them more, why God wont entrust them with more money.  The answer and the lesson to learn is this:

 

^10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. (Lk 16:10, NIV)

 

If God cannot trust you and I with a little bit, how can He trust us with more.  So what do we do?  It's always a matter of the heart, it's a trust thing, God want's us to trust Him more.  Whether you and I have alot or a little.  Where is your motive?

 

^13 “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Lk 16:13, NIV)

 

Lord, forgive me for not using the little like i should, help me so that i may be wiser in using what you have given me.

 

Chris