Daily Reflection – 11/10/2023
Sacred Scripture
Jesus said to his disciples, “A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property. He summoned him and said, ‘What is this I hear about you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward.’ The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me? I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do so that, when I am removed from the stewardship, they may welcome me into their homes.’ He called in his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He replied, ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note. Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.’ Then to another he said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘One hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note; write one for eighty.’ And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently. For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than the children of light.”(Luke 16:1-8)
Reflection
In the parable of the dishonest steward, (Luke 16:1-13), Jesus uses the industriousness of this dishonest steward to challenge us, to remind all of us that “the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.”
We are the children of light. How are we living our own lives? Are we allowing the light of truth to shine into every area of those lives? Do we believe that the Christian faith is to inform every aspect of how we live, or have we set apart certain areas which are outside of the reach of the saving truth of the Gospel?
We need to hear these words from Jesus with humility and honesty – and allow them to root themselves deep within us, so that they lead each one of us to a change in lifestyle.
Our very ability to live a Christ centered life in this topsy-turvy world requires us to pause for a bit each day. During that period, we should reflect on how we are living our lives. That inner contemplation will always lead us to understand better that we are stewards of His love, that we are stewards of the Christan faith, that we are expected to never cease striving for the kingdom of God.
If we accept our role as a steward of God, then we must live our lives truthfully and honesty in ALL aspects of our life. A follower of Christ cannot separate faith from life. Our lives must reflect the goodness and the beauty of God. God alone is to be served and loved with all of our heart. We are called to receive all of our worldly goods, no matter what they are, as a gift and direct them toward what is good and true.
There is often a ‘disconnect’ between the faith Christians profess and the way we live our daily lives. Western culture would not be in the current state of moral decline if Christians understood and lived their Christian faith in an integrated manner, informing every aspect of our human experience and social participation with the principles and practices which flow from that faith.
As Christians, we are called to serve God first. We must not use money and possessions exclusively to serve our own purposes. If we understand the principle that everything we own is a gift from God, then God is the owner of everything and we are His stewards. We are to use the Master’s resources to further the Master’s goals. It is as simple and, at the same time, as profound as that.
We need to hear these words from Jesus with humility and honesty – and allow them to root themselves deep within us, so that they lead each one of us to a day when our Master says : “ Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Prayer of The Day
“Lord Jesus, all that I have is a gift from you. May I love you freely and generously with all that I possess. Help me to be a wise and faithful steward of the resources you put at my disposal, including the use of my time, money, and possessions.”
Daily Note
All of us will be asked to give an account of our life. We are all stewards of what God has entrusted to us, so some day we will have to give Him an account of our stewardship. We prepare ourselves for all kinds of things, most of which never happen. But do we care enough for our souls to insure ourselves against the one thing that most certainly will happen? We must meet God and give an accounting. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil” (II Corinthians 5:10).
