Trust in What God Has Given You

Intro

Trust is one of the most important and one of the most difficult concepts that we have in our lives. In the military soldiers have to trust their commanders to make decisions that will preserve their lives while winning battles. Children have to trust their parents to make decisions for them that will keep them safe and help them grow into responsible adults. Employees have to trust their employers to make decisions that are best for them and for the company. And the population has to trust their leaders to make decisions that will keep them safe and benefit them and their town/state/country. There is a lot riding on trust.

The problem is we often have a hard time trusting the people we are supposed to. When we don’t have confidence in the people that are leading us, no matter what the situation, it often leads to break downs in these systems and often danger.

Think of a young teenager who has just earned the freedom of their drivers license. They are ready to grab their friends and go and do. Their parents give them certain rules to follow while they are driving. Like, don’t drive with the music turned up. But the teen knows better. They don’t trust their parents, they crank the music in the car. Their friends are singing along, they join in. They start singing and laughing with their friends. They loose focus on the road and then tragedy happens. They aren’t paying attention, they miss the curve, run off the road, and hit a tree. All they had to do what trust their parents but they thought they knew better.

This is often what we do with God. We don’t place our trust in Him and we miss the curve. Our scripture today tells the story of a manager and how even though he was lazy he placed his trust in the future and not in himself.

The Shrewd Manager was not dishonest.

No where does Jesus claim the manager stole from the owner

Rather the manager was lazy with the owner’s property

He did not properly take care of the owner’s property

God gives us much what are we doing with what God gave us?

The Shrewd Manager Chose Future Security

The shrewd manager could have called on his masters accounts

By collecting the debts he could have recieved his commissions

900 Gallons of Olive Oil

About $45 a gallon

$40,500

typical management fee today is between 1 and 2 %

$400 and $500

1000 Bushels of Wheat

1 Bushel of Wheat is $334.25

$334,250.00

$3,342.50 and $6,685

Commission would have been between $3,742.50 and $7,185

So his commission wouldn’t have lasted long

He would have had to find another job

But his reputation would have been ruined so he might not find another management job

He was too weak to dig

He was too proud to beg

Every day we are given a choice between our present security and our future reward.

The Shrewd Manager Received His Future Reward

The Manager sacrificed his commission

Because he did not collect on the debts owed he did not receive less, he recieved nothing

Commission could only be rewarded if the debt was collected.

The next manager would have recieved the smaller commission that was left.

Because the manager cared more for his future reward than his present security he recieved it.

Every day we are given a choice between our present security and our future reward

What Master Do You Serve Present of Future?

Jesus finishes his parable by making the claim you cannot serve two masters, God and Money

Money is our present security

Money secures out present security

Money makes the world go round

Money doesn’t by happiness but it does by everything else

God is our future reward

Many times our service to God conflicts with money

The question is which is more important?

Often it is hard to serve God and our financial desires/needs

Could be small

Coffee at home instead of Dunkin

Taking time to make dinner at home instead of eating out

Buying a less expensive technology than the newest greatest thing

Could be large

Giving up a days work to serve others

Giving above your tithe

Giving your coat to someone who is in need

Every day we are given a choice between our present security and our future reward

Conclusion

The fact is God cares more about our future security then He does about our earthly comforts. There are times in our life when we will have discomforts in securing our eternal rewards. This is not to say that we earn our salvation by what we are doing, but rather when we place our faith in God He will lead us into situations that may make us a little uncomfortable.

So the question is where are you placing your trust? Do you trust in your present comfort or in your God who longs to off your eternal comforts. Lets pray.