Randy's Blog

First, in the story of the shrewd manager, Jesus applauds his "shrewdness" for trying to take his future into his own hands. Jesus says the point is that non-Christians often are more shrewd than we are. Are we using the resources God has entrusted to us for the future, to help others, to make an eternal difference, or are we just simply living in the moment. He says what we do now really can make an eternal difference, if we're "shrewd" enough to recognize that.

Jesus is very clear that many of the ways of this world will not be honored in heaven. Faithfulness to Christ and obedience to his teachings may seem strange, even foolish, to many around us, but Jesus tells us these are the things that God honors and rejoices in. Are we using the opportunities we have to live for him, in spite of what others may think or say?

In his story about the rich man and Lazarus, Jesus tells us that we already have everything we need to live our lives in God-honoring ways. The rich man wanted to return and warn his brothers to change their lives, but Jesus says God's Word already offers all the warning anyone needs.

Throughout this chapter I kept feeling God saying to me: "Are you taking advantage of the opportunities I give you to use your resources wisely? Are you taking advantage of the opportunities I give you to live your life well and share the Good News to those who are disconnected from God?" When we get to heaven isn't the time to wish we had done some things differently. Now is the time to be faithful in our living, in our use of God's resources, in telling others about God's Good News of Jesus Christ. Otherwise, we may discover that many great opportunities slipped right by us because we weren't watching.