DAY 29: How shall I earn my money?
Reading: Luke 16:1-14
Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 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.’
“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— I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’
“So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
“‘Nine hundred gallons[a] of olive oil,’ he replied.
“The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’
“Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’
“‘A thousand bushels[b] of wheat,’ he replied.
“He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’
“The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
“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. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.
One of the problems many Christians have is recognising that their day
job is what God has called them to. For some, only things to do with
church are seen as ministry. Yet our daily work (or non-work) provides
us with a place to exercise our discipleship. So we should aim to think
theologically about what we do and to seek to witness to God’s saving
love. (Theology is not just the preserve of the clergy; it is the study of
God and His actions in this world. As Christians we are called to think
and act in a Christian manner, guided by scripture.)
Yes, we earn a wage and we are responsible for the stewardship of
that money, but we are called to be faithful in our place of work. Being
trustworthy and hardworking are the hallmarks of a Christian. Part of
our calling is to be the best employee that we possibly can.
When the steward recognised that he had been found out, he
compounded his dishonesty by drawing others into his crimes. His god
was wealth, whereas we serve the living God. So our possessions are
for this life and, if we are faithful in small things, then God will entrust
more to us, not for ourselves but for His kingdom.
For further reading: Colossians 3:22-25 - part of Paul's theology of work.
To ponder: How do you seek to exercise your calling as a disciple of Christ
in your place of work?
To pray: Lord Jesus, help me to exercise my discipleship by being the
best worker or volunteer in my place of work. Amen.
‘whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much’ v10
Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 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.’
“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— I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’
“So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
“‘Nine hundred gallons[a] of olive oil,’ he replied.
“The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’
“Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’
“‘A thousand bushels[b] of wheat,’ he replied.
“He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’
“The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
“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. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.
One of the problems many Christians have is recognising that their day
job is what God has called them to. For some, only things to do with
church are seen as ministry. Yet our daily work (or non-work) provides
us with a place to exercise our discipleship. So we should aim to think
theologically about what we do and to seek to witness to God’s saving
love. (Theology is not just the preserve of the clergy; it is the study of
God and His actions in this world. As Christians we are called to think
and act in a Christian manner, guided by scripture.)
Yes, we earn a wage and we are responsible for the stewardship of
that money, but we are called to be faithful in our place of work. Being
trustworthy and hardworking are the hallmarks of a Christian. Part of
our calling is to be the best employee that we possibly can.
When the steward recognised that he had been found out, he
compounded his dishonesty by drawing others into his crimes. His god
was wealth, whereas we serve the living God. So our possessions are
for this life and, if we are faithful in small things, then God will entrust
more to us, not for ourselves but for His kingdom.
For further reading: Colossians 3:22-25 - part of Paul's theology of work.
To ponder: How do you seek to exercise your calling as a disciple of Christ
in your place of work?
To pray: Lord Jesus, help me to exercise my discipleship by being the
best worker or volunteer in my place of work. Amen.
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