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Scriptures on Finances - God Holds Us Accountable for What He Has Given Us

By Ozeme J Bonnette

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 08Nov2009 Word count: 601 Viewed: 1008 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

Financial stewards don't own anything. We just manage it. So, we need to make sure that we properly manage everything that God has entrusted to us.

In Luke 16:10-12, Jesus said, "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own?" (NIV)

Parable of the Talents

There are hundreds of Scriptures on finances, but Jesus gave us a great example in the parable of the talents (Luke 19:11-27). A man gave each of his servants some money and asked them to put it to work while he was away. When he returned, he called his servants together to find out what they were able to accomplish in his absence.

The first servant doubled what he was given. His master was proud, saying, "Well done, my good servant!" The master gave the servant greater responsibilities.

The second servant also earned a sizable profit for his master. As a result, he, too, was given more responsibility.

However, the third servant was afraid of losing what he was given, so he hid it. He gave his master back exactly what he was given. The master was furious. He gave the third servant's portion to the first servant, leaving the "safe" servant with nothing.

The lesson is clear: those who properly manage that which they are given will be given more. God has entrusted each of us with valuable gifts - things that we can do better than anyone else. Those who waste the talents God has given to them will end up with nothing.

As Luke mentioned, it is possible that we do not have more because we have not been faithful with the little that the Lord has already given to us.

Why should God bless you with a $100,000 annual income if you don't know how to handle a $30,000 annual income?

To put this in perspective, think about how we respond to children. Children always think that they can handle a lot more than they really can. For example, an infant may be curious and want to taste some of your food.

However, without teeth, you know that the child will not be able to chew and swallow what you are eating. You know the child can only handle a bottle of milk or maybe some baby food.

The same thing applies with our relationship with God. Oftentimes, our curiosity gets the best of us. God knows what we can handle, and starts us off with that. He's not going to give us a chicken drumstick if all we can handle is a bottle of milk.

Full accountability

It is also possible that our hearts are not in the right place. James told Christians in James 4:3, "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." (NIV)

Many of us feel that as long as we are tithing, we are handling our responsibilities as Christians. But it goes deeper than that. We are still accountable to God for the other 90 percent of our increase.

Although God wants us to be happy and to enjoy nice things, we cannot be selfish in our pursuits. God has plans for everything that He gives to us. Once we seek God's Kingdom first, everything else will fall in line naturally.

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