Command 13 : Lay Up Treasures | Day 87 Pass the Stewardship Test!I read with casual interest the parable that Jesus gave about the three stewards, until the day I realized that I was also a steward and would have to give an account to God of the way I managed His resources. Each steward was given a different amount of money, along with sufficient time to make wise investments. Two of them doubled what they were given and were praised, while the remaining steward returned only what he had been given and was cursed. (See Matthew 25:14-30.) This account prompted me to make it my goal to live on as little as I could and to invest as much as I could in the work of the Lord. A steward is not praised for protecting his assets, but for multiplying them to further the work of his master! John Wesley demonstrated incredible stewardship throughout his history-making ministry. He counseled men to "earn all you can, save all you can, and give all you can." His personal life was an example of frugality. He gave away large sums of money and at the time of his death possessed very little. However, he left a huge legacy in the history of England and America. One of the practical ways to save money is to purchase used items. Dr. John Morgan, pastor of Sagemont Church in Houston, Texas, is a wise steward who encourages others to save money in creative ways. When someone tells him, "I would never buy a used mattress, because you never know who has slept on it," he makes the person laugh with conviction by asking, "What do you sleep on when you stay in a hotel?" The seed in our bag does not produce a harvest, but the seed that we plant in fertile ground multiplies. When it comes to buying, I continue to be challenged by an elderly widow on Social Security who sent a dollar a month to this ministry. One day she wrote: "I am sure it costs you more to acknowledge my gift than the gift I am sending; I wish I could give more, so I won't trouble you with any further gifts." I wrote back and explained that her monthly dollar was actually producing tens of thousands of dollars, because each time I was able to save even five dollars on a purchase I would think, "That is five months of giving from that Godly widow." Wise stewardship is not just a way of thinking, but a way of life. Many years ago, a wealthy businessman told our staff that he and his wife took walkie-talkies to two different supermarkets and compared the prices of food. If the price was 10 cents per can in one store and 8 cents per can in the other, they would buy the 8-cent can. Our staff roared with laughter. After we finished, he said with convicting seriousness, "Your laugh tells me why I am a millionaire and you are not!" Wealthy people do not think in terms of dollars and cents, but rather in percents. A 2-cent savings on a 10-cent purchase is a 20% discount. Think of the savings if you were able to obtain a 20% reduction on a lifetime of spending! Let's have a millionaire mind-set the next time we make a purchase! |
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