I have often wondered what the final survey of my life will truly look like……..

 

If I were to be truly honest with myself, I would have to recognize that a lot of my life has been lived based on my circumstances.  When things have been great, I have been happy.  When they have gone poorly, I have been upset.  Much like a roller coaster ride, I have had ups and downs and in-betweens….when you live like this—-circumstances control your life.

 

I have also tried to change my circumstances by working and working and working…..putting a continuous effort into being better than my situation….outworking it.  In that world, my mentality was to let nothing hold me back—–my intent was to work my way into exactly the situation that I wanted……when you live like this—-work controls your life.

 

As I look at Luke 16, I think these two options are exactly what Jesus is talking about when He refers to beggar and digger.

 

Luke 16  1 Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2 So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’

3 “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg–   

 

The beggar is in wait for someone to bail him out of his situation.  His outcome for the day is completely dependent on what OTHERS do in his world.  He lives life in a good place or he lives life in a place where he can blame others.  No one helped me do this…No one was there for me when this happened.  No one is kind.  It is a tough place to live.

 

The digger works his way through all things.  Constantly fighting and rarely “tuning his tools”.  Nothing can stop him from succeeding because he will work until he finds it.  He lives in a place of slavery—and he is, in fact, a slave to himself.  It is……also……a tough place to live.

 

What could possibly be the other option?

 

It is to be a steward.  A steward is appointed to look after someone else’s property.  And what he does with that property will be someday called to account.  He will report to the owner on not only what he did do….but what he didn’t do……

 

Imagine telling the owner of a property that it was actually his fault that you ran down the value and broke his equipment.  Imagine telling him that the value of his estate has gone down while he was gone and that it is, in fact, his fault.

 

It would be equally unwise to tell him that you had done EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER to hold things together—-but that it was still worth nothing.  That his million dollar estate was now worth …… $12,000.  To stand before him and say that you worked yourself to the bone to please him is simply patronizing…….the owner would not buy that either.

 

 

But what if you lived the way Jesus suggests?

 

What if you actually let go and truly became a STEWARD of what He has given you.

 

Throughout scripture Jesus says things like:  

  • He who wants to keep His life must lose it
  • He who is last will be first
  • In order to have a part with me you must eat my flesh and drink my blood
  • I am the way and the truth and the life

 

 

Our reality is that we simply can not manage the estate that is given to us.  Nor will we be able to blame others for the condition of our property should we choose to do it that way.  And not only so—-we would never dare stand before the living God and convince Him that we were able to do it all ourselves.  That our resume is somehow good enough to impress Him and make Him super proud of us.

 

 

And so Jesus gives us a third option.  And that option is to let go of all of it and start living like it is a gift.

 

Our life is not ours to have in the first place.

Our spouse was given to us by God and He asks us to care for them as His representative.

Our job is an opportunity to bring His Kingdom to others.

Our money is to be used to show others that He loves them to.

 

In fact, as you look at that above paragraph, we need to take all of those words OUR and replace them with HIS.  He owns the cattle on a thousand hills and He owns our lives.  He has given us so much to keep track of and instead of asking for me….we need to ask Him how to better manage what He has so graciously given us.

 

 

So today I want to challenge you……

 

 

Do you want to be a beggar…..constantly looking for someone else to blame and begging for someone to come and change your position so that you can find happiness?

 

Do you want to be a digger…….working your way to the top so that you can get denied and then work harder to make your way to the top.  Digging from dusk to dawn with all the effort under the sun?

 

Or do you want to be steward…..A son of the greatest Daddy you could ever want.  Blessed and forgiven and hopeful……..free and loving and gifted……..grateful and energetic and alive……..

 

I don’t know the answers to all the questions…..I just know that ANSWER.

 

I don’t understand all of the mysteries of His word…..I just know that His Word comes alive in my life.

 

I don’t know the right thing to do even in my next moment…..I just know that He owns the cattle on a thousand hills and that the earth is His footstool.

 

So I am casting my lot this very day with the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

 

For He……..is the only hope I have.

 

 

In The Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

 

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Coach J