We live in a culture that emphasizes we have less than what we need, or less protection than we need, or less youth as we grow older. Operating out of a culture of scarcity makes us protect more and more of what we think we need to have. It makes us guarded about every aspect of our lives. When we operate out of scarcity we don't see the abundance of God's love and gifts to us in our lives.
These thoughts come out of the scripture today from Luke 16:1-13. It is a parable we all struggle with about the dishonest steward. This parable comes right after all of the ones about finding lost things, a lost sheep, a lost coin, a lost son. All of these previous ones operate out of God's economy of not caring about the abundance in front of them in terms of worldly things, but operate out of God's abundance in our lives. These are the treasures of heaven. This is why Jesus uses this parable to make us think about what economy do we operate out of.
Do we get scared and see how little we have and protect it? Not going after one lost sheep, but staying with the 99 because this will make us the most money, if we lose the 99 there won't be any money made off of the lambs. Keeping the fact that the lost coin has been found to ourselves because there isn't enough money to throw a party because it is all the woman has. Not welcoming the lost son because he made his choices and squandered all of the inheritance we had given out. All he'll do is waste more he doesn't even deserve to be looked at.
After these the dishonest steward hits us straight on because it is out of the economy of taking care of ourselves and making the most for us. Jesus can't mean this...and he doesn't. We are the dishonest steward every time we act as above though. Our thoughts are more tuned into what we don't have instead of into the abundance which God gives to us. Will we take the challenge to live abundantly?
These thoughts come out of the scripture today from Luke 16:1-13. It is a parable we all struggle with about the dishonest steward. This parable comes right after all of the ones about finding lost things, a lost sheep, a lost coin, a lost son. All of these previous ones operate out of God's economy of not caring about the abundance in front of them in terms of worldly things, but operate out of God's abundance in our lives. These are the treasures of heaven. This is why Jesus uses this parable to make us think about what economy do we operate out of.
Do we get scared and see how little we have and protect it? Not going after one lost sheep, but staying with the 99 because this will make us the most money, if we lose the 99 there won't be any money made off of the lambs. Keeping the fact that the lost coin has been found to ourselves because there isn't enough money to throw a party because it is all the woman has. Not welcoming the lost son because he made his choices and squandered all of the inheritance we had given out. All he'll do is waste more he doesn't even deserve to be looked at.
After these the dishonest steward hits us straight on because it is out of the economy of taking care of ourselves and making the most for us. Jesus can't mean this...and he doesn't. We are the dishonest steward every time we act as above though. Our thoughts are more tuned into what we don't have instead of into the abundance which God gives to us. Will we take the challenge to live abundantly?
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