2. He valued people above possessions.
This dishonest steward knew that he was the steward of his master’s earthly wealth. He also understood the values of relationship.

Luke 16:9 tells us to “use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” This is the best investment you can make with God’s money. We are told to make friends using our worldly wealth so that we can win them to Christ. I am not saying we use money to “bribe” or to “lure” people to us because of our wealth. However, we are to use our wealth to bless and help others. Even to buy a non-believer friend to a good meal to fellowship, to show your care and to enquire about their well-beings is the beginning of sharing with them Christ’s love through you. Your tithe that goes into mission fields will definitely bring salvation and when you are in heaven later (eternal dwellings), do not be surprised that total strangers walk up to you and thank you for your mission funds. As a result of it, they were saved through the missionaries sent out in the fields.

2 Peter 1:10-11 says, “Therefore, my brother, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” I do not know about you but I would prefer to walk into heaven with a rich welcome rather than by the grit of my teeth with no welcome party. Not all of us can go to all the nations to preach the Gospel. But we have earthly gifts that we can give. With our worldly wealth that we give, we make friends who are saved through our tithing, offerings and giving.

We do not make friends to gain wealth, but we use wealth to make friends.

Proverbs 11:30 offers a great advice – “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise”. Are we wise? What can we do? Why not consider setting aside a generosity fund where you can dig in to bless others. For example, giving to the works of drug rehabilitation centre, orphanage, set up of mental illness centre for the poor in developing countries like Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam. Value others above your personal comfort. If you are faithful in investing to the lost, you will be given much. But we must invest first before we can invade.

Luke 16:10-12; 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?”

If we are able to handle our worldly wealth well, God will trust us with souls. We will have lots of friends to send to heaven in advance. More wealth will be entrusted into our hands to win more friends. Think of it this way. In heaven, there is no bank, no transaction of currency, and no credit card. But transaction of souls!

Jesus said in Luke 16:13 that “no servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” Clearly, it is either God or Money, Riches or Souls. Which is your choice? Luke 16:15 says that “what is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.”

Relationship is more important than things. People are above possessions. God gives us a cause greater than just pleasures of enjoyment for ourselves. We are to make friends with the wealth God gives us.

Will you do what God has entrusted into your hands today? Will you be willing to tithe freely without feeling it is an obligation or simple to receive blessing from God? Will you use your earthly wealth to make friends by giving to God’s cause? This choice is yours to make today – to send friends to heaven and be received by a welcome party or to get into heaven by the grit of your teeth with no welcome party. The choice is yours.