S113P5 – Navigating prosperity: the good steward rewarded

Lk. 16:10-12

He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore, if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?

He wanted a dog so badly, but his parents always said that there was no one in the house with the time or the energy to take care of a dog.  He was only 10 years old, and they knew that he would not be able to handle the job on his own.  Months went by, and he kept asking for that dog, then an opportunity arose to test his desire.  He was asked to dog sit for neighbors who would be on vacation, and he begged his parents to let him, so they did.  It took not even twenty-four hours for reality to set in for that young boy and completely overwhelm him.  His parents could only smile, because they predicted that their week would start this way, and they would spend the next six days cleaning up after both the dog and the one who should have been caring for him. 

There are some harsh lessons that God must teach us because we are not always as self-aware as we think we are.  We might express to him a desire for more, and we might genuinely think that we can handle that increase, but He knows for sure whether we have what it takes to be faithful with our request.  Our unfaithfulness with abundance can take many forms.  Some will place too much value on what God gives them and idolize that abundance.  Others will be selfish and insist on keeping it for themselves.  Still others will not recognize the value of God’s increase at all and simply waste it like water through one’s fingers.  In these instances, God’s response might simply be to withhold that increase from the start.

They say that riches do not change a person but simply cause that person’s true character to come to the surface.  God knows how we will treat the little that He gives us, but we might need to learn that ourselves.  When we ask for more, and it does not come, we must consider whether we are just not ready for it.  The Lord is looking for good stewards of his gifts and blessings.  We have an opportunity to show him with very little that we can be trusted with very much, but that requires seeing every treasure as valuable regardless of its size.  Father, teach us to value even the least of what You give us, and train us to be selfless stewards of the greater increase.