The Faithful Manager

The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.” (Luke 12:42-44)

A very important question for each one of us to ask is this:  “What is the task the Lord has placed in my hands at this particular time?” Could the task be extraordinarily difficult, requiring His all achieving power and our diligence and perseverance to carry it out? Could the task be extremely boring and mundane, requiring the same all achieving power and our diligence and perseverance to finish it well?

“If by doing some work which the undiscerning consider ‘not spiritual work’ I can best help others, and I inwardly rebel, thinking it is the spiritual for which I crave, when in truth it is the interesting and exciting, then I know nothing of Calvary love.” -Amy Carmichael

God calls us to persevere in the mundane as well as in the difficult and the exciting. Oftentimes life’s work can become quite daily. A great verse to memorize is the wonderful command in Colossians:

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Colossians 3:23-24)

Our Lord, who judges without favoritism or partiality, will repay each and every person in full when He comes again. When we work as unto Him, all our efforts become set apart for God’s glory. We are told in Isaiah:

“Let us work as if success depended upon ourselves alone, but with heartfelt conviction that we are doing nothing, and God everything.” -St. Ignatius Loyola

See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. (Isaiah 40:10)

Jesus said:
“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.” (Mark 13:32-34)

Jesus’ exhortation is for each generation to be watching, waiting, and working until His return or our own homegoing. Paul gives us a wonderful charge:

And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me–the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace. (Acts 20:22-24)

Life is not nearly long enough for everything! As believers, we must be focused on the things of God! We must stand firm in our commitment to Him and remain unencumbered by things that might keep us back from attaining our goal. This is the crux of Hebrews 12:1-3:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3)

Just as surely as there are always consequences to sin, there are always blessings to obedience. In our verses for today Jesus speaks of the rewards of the faithful. Scripture has many illustrations regarding rewards in the here and now and also our future eternal rewards. Jesus assures us that we will be rewarded according to our actions:

“For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.” (Matthew 16:27).

Paul echoes the same sentiment in Ephesians:
Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does. (Ephesians 6:7-8).
Our good deeds will not go unnoticed!

Resolving the Ownership Issue
The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters (Psalm 24:1,2).

As Christian business people, we are called by God to view all that we have as not our own. We are to be stewards of all that he entrusts to us. This is one of the hardest of all commandments to follow for the Christian businessperson. Because if we work hard at business, we receive all the benefits of that work. It appears as though all that we have achieved was through our hand. Yet, God says that it is by His hand that we are able to make wealth (Deuteronomy 8). He is the source of that ability. As soon as we become owners and not managers we fall into trouble with God.

Joseph understood that he was a steward of all the resources of Egypt. God promoted him to affect an entire region of the world. He had the most power, prestige, and wealth for any thirty year old who ever lived before him. The temptation for him in this newfound role in life must have been great. There has been many a man who has not been able to handle material success. Many of God's choicest servants began well in their calling and service to God only to fail at the end. Consider Hezekiah, the great king who achieved many great things but failed to acknowledge God's blessing at the end of his reign. His reign was cut short and was not passed down to his family line because of pride.

"Not every man can carry a full cup. Sudden elevation frequently leads to pride and a fall. The most exacting test of all to survive is prosperity." Oswald Chambers.

Ask the Lord today if you are living as a steward versus an owner. Put whatever skills and resources you possess on His altar. Then, you can expect God to do great things through you.

Biblical Principles in Network Marketing

As a Pastor, Bill Nissen was against Network Marketing for years.  In 2003, a friend helped 
him see a new perspective.  He still dislikes the ethics of many who do it, but he sees a 
biblical perspective that allows him to not only support network marketing, but embrace it as
a way to serve people.  Watch This Video. It is longer than most (20 minutes) but carries essential information.