Investing our lives wisely
We can do three things with our lives. We can waste them, we can spend them or we can invest them. The Bible teaches us to invest our lives to make a difference for eternity. We will be held accountable by God for how we invest our lives.
Read Matthew 25:14-30
- Discuss who the man, the servant and the property represent in this parable. Do the servants have any influence over what is given to them?
Everything we have belongs to God. We are allowed to borrow things for a number of years. We brought nothing into this world and we are taking nothing out of this world when we leave. We are here to manage and use God’s resources.
- What talents has God given each one of us?
- Discuss how many talents or gifts you can think of. People are given different talents, but no-one is without any talents.
- How are we using the talents God has given us?
- Why is it wrong to bury what God has given us? What would make us do this?
If we use our gifts and talents to serve other people, those gifts and talents will start to grow. God encourages us to step out in faith in this. If we use our talents wisely, we will be rewarded.
- How can we use our talents or gifts more?
- What did God say to these stewards? What was their reward?
- What were the reasons one steward gave for not using his talent in verses 24-30?
- How much did he respect his master?
Fear often keeps people from using their talents. Remember that God likes to use imperfect people. A $100 note, however dirty or torn, is still worth $100. In God’s eyes we never lose our value!
- How can we deal with fears that stop us serving God?
- What motivates our own desire to serve God?
Discuss verse 29 which is a very challenging verse.
- Have we observed this in our own lives or in the lives of others?
Let us be encouraged to invest our talents wisely. We need to take what little we have and start using it in serving other people. Then we may see God multiply our talents too!
Good use of resources
Read Acts 6:1-7
- What is the complaint of the Grecian Jews?
The twelve apostles gather together all the disciples.
- What do they propose?
- What qualities do they suggest for the men who are to help in the food distribution?
The apostles pray and lay their hands on the chosen men.
- What is the result of the expansion in the workforce?
It is good to employ people to do different tasks according to their gifts and skills and the anointing of God upon them. See also 2 Chronicles 19:11.
- Are you using your human resources effectively?
Sharing what God has given us
Read Luke 12:13-21
Jesus warns us to avoid all kinds of greed. ‘A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.’
- What happens to the rich fool in this parable?
The man had prepared many things for himself but was not ‘rich towards God’.
We are encouraged to be generous with what God has given us. We should be open-hearted and willing to lend to the poor (Exodus 23:11; Deuteronomy 15:7-8). We are also told to be eager to share and give to one another (Acts 4:34-35; 1 Corinthians 16:2; Galatians 2:10).
Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-11
God loves a cheerful giver and we will reap what we sow.
- In what ways might this generosity be expressed?
- Are you listening to the cry of the poor?
- How could we do more for needy people, both within our community and outside our community?
Our need and not our greed
Read Proverbs 30:7-9
It is good to stop and consider what attitudes control our approach both to farming and to our lives.
- What should our attitude be to what we get from the land?
- How should we treat other people, especially those less fortunate than ourselves?
- How should we regard money?
- What are our reasons for wanting to improve our health and farming? Is it just in order to raise our standard of living – or is it so that we can glorify God in everything that we do?
Pray that we will learn more effectively what it means to be responsible stewards.
Using the earth’s resources wisely
Much of God’s plan for the efficient and just ordering of society can be found in the earliest books of the Old Testament.
Read Deuteronomy 15:7-11, 24:14-15 and 24:19-21
- What are these passages concerned with?
- What does God say about our use of money and food in our dealings with the poor?
- How can these principles be applied in our communities and countries today?
Read Deuteronomy 11:13-15 and 28:1-6
- What does God promise if we observe his principles? Have you found this to be true in your own life?
- What does this mean for our world today?