“Every generation inherits a world it never made; and, as it does so, it automatically becomes the trustee of that world for those who come after. In due course, each generation makes its own accounting to its children.” – Robert Kennedy
I’ve been teaching on what the Bible says about financial stability, freedom and stewardship – things I was not taught as a youth. The statistics are scary: 46% of Americans say they can’t cover a $400 emergency. The richest 1% holds 40% of the Nation’s wealth (Washington Post). 32% of Americans have only saved between $1 and $74,999 for retirement. 15% say they’ve saved nothing at all (MSN). Only 41% of Americans say they live on a budget (US Bank). In Cincinnati where I live, the poverty level is 28.7%. One out of every 3.5 people lives in poverty. This is a dire situation! I don’t know if many pastors address these things or find them relevant, but the Bible goes into a lot of detail on the importance of stewardship. God has entrusted us with this earth, with children, with work, with our time, with relationships, with His possessions, with finances, with gifts and callings, and with His mysteries.
TRUSTEES in a church are a group of folks, ostensibly business people with whom the direction of the financial and sometimes operational life of a church is entrusted. Trustees are also found outside of churches. A TRUSTEE is a person who is given control or powers of administration of property in trust with a legal obligation to administer it solely for the purposes specified. You and I are really trustees of what God owns. We are to steward these things as He specifies. In the Parable of the Minas in Luke 19:11-27, Jesus tells of a master who calls together his servants, gives them each ten minas (about 3 months wages) and tells them to ‘occupy til I come,’ which means do business, put this money work until I return. (13) This nobleman wanted to receive a return on his investment (ROI). The servant’s response to this command was not unlike ours when God taps on our shoulders with commands about stewardship, soul winning, obedience or accountability, “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’ (14)
The servants who took their trusteeship seriously and gained a return were given levels of responsibility over cities. The one who did not, was called wicked and unprofitable. His minas were taken from him and given to the most profitable person. This seems unfair and not something God would do, but Jesus had already told His disciples, “10Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11If, then, you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches? 12And if you have not been faithful
with the belongings of another, who will give you belongings of your own? (Luke16:10-12) Fortune Magazine reported that Millennials are the first generation to believe that they will grow up to be financially worse off than their parents. But the trust we have received is not solely financial. We also have a spiritual trust. What kind of TRUSTEE have you been? Will the next generation be better because you’ve properly managed what’s been entrusted to you? |
|
