Luke 16:10 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. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."
Investment counselors teach us not to put all our eggs in one basket. Diversification is the key to protecting yourself from any potential for great loss. If you are invested in a broad spectrum of interest-bearing accounts, then you are gaining in one account as you may be losing from another. In the over-all sense, you keep moving forward by balancing your position across the entire market, and enjoying the wealth growth which comes from having as many angles covered as possible.
Jesus says otherwise. Jesus says to invest everything you have in Heaven.
The question is: Why do we find it so difficult to do that? Why do we find ourselves so protective of our earthly accounts and interests, while at the same time placing so little consideration in our eternal account?
The answer is: unbelief.
Everything pertaining to how we handle our finances is an act of faith. If we invest, it is because we believe there will be a return. If we take out a loan, then someone is placing their faith in our ability to pay them back with interest. All of us find ourselves investors and borrowers at some point in our lives - which is why we all relate so well to Jesus’ discussion of our resources.
Where we invest, or who we borrow from in the world expresses where we place our faith. Jesus is saying we must do likewise in our relationship with Our Father in Heaven…placing our faith in Him, that is…and He alone!
This is purely and fundamentally logical if we think about how long eternity is in relationship to the amount of time we have left on earth. If we are inordinately concerned about providing for our own future, it means we do not trust the Father to take care of us. If we are stingy with our resources, it is because we do not trust the Father to continue to provide. If we steal it is because we do not believe the Father has provided well enough, and we need to take matters into our own hands. Likewise, covetousness.
You cannot serve two masters. Jesus says which master you serve is plainly obvious.
- Pastor Bill
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