The Way to Follow Jesus According to the Gospel of LukeSample

Day 17 - Luke 19

Use It or Lose It

You may think you’re not really “wealthy” but if you live in a western culture, you are. If you are middle class or above, by comparison to most others, you are exceptionally wealthy.

And regardless of how you accumulate your wealth, you can either selfishly hoard it up or choose to see it as all belonging to God and use it for His purposes.

When Jesus told the parable of the talents, the message was for us to use the gifts He has given for the benefit of His kingdom. Rather than make excuses, like not having much to work with or thinking it won't really matter, Jesus is clear that whatever we've been given, little or much, it is His and we are to invest for Him.

Our tendency is to look more towards those who have exceptional talent or gifting and become envious or ambivalent to what we have by comparison.

But every single one of us has been given unique abilities, custom tailored by our Creator Father. Our responsibility (and joy) is to not hide or run from it but to nurture, invest and grow it for Him and the good of others. To the degree that we don’t use and invest what has been entrusted to us for the sake of His kingdom, Jesus says it’s at risk of being taken away.

Take an inventory of your “wealth.” Include ALL the blessings, gifts, talents and treasures. Where did it all come from, who does it really belong to and how are you using it?