Luke 16:8,9 tells us "And the master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly and made friends for himself by means of dishonest wealth so that when the money was gone the friends might welcome him into their eternal homes."
"Now, this doesn't sound like Jesus to encourage shrewd or dishonest acts! But He was trying here to show that the use of money is a test of the Lordship of Christ because money can be used for good or evil. Even when unearned or ill-gotten, money can be used for good. We are to make use of the financial opportunities we are given not to earn heaven, but to help people find Jesus Christ. In the above story the manager uses God's money to decrease the poverty and debts of others, that they might know the forgiving love of God. In this way, money is used to bring eternal benefit to the debtors.
"This is not to teach that it is OK to be dishonest, but to show that money is a tool that God places in our hands to see how and what we will do with what we've been given. This manager used the money to make life easier for himself after he lost his position, and yet God shows us that this is an example of how even dishonest money can be used for Him and His purposes."
Lord, guide us in how we use your resources that others might have their hearts opened to see you, for there is nothing that is greater than reaching out to others with what we have been given. Amen.
Jo INMN
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