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 Your
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 Practical
Applications
Aspects of Thriftiness
1.
Thriftiness begins by being content with basics.
A
person who believes that happiness is measured by personal possessions will
not be capable of true thriftiness. He will use up valuable assets for
things that neither profit nor satisfy. Jesus warned, "Take heed, and beware
of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the
things which he possesseth" (Luke 12:15).
On the
other hand, a person who is content with the basic essentials of life will
have the natural ability to be thrifty. "Having food and raiment let us be
therewith content" (I Timothy 6:8).
2.
Thriftiness is using creativity to increase assets.
Just as
the two faithful stewards doubled their assets, so Jacob found creative ways
to multiply the flocks that were entrusted to him. A thrifty man will
understand how God designed things to work and will use this knowledge to
increase productivity.
3.
Thriftiness is protecting assets by putting up with irritations.
Life is
filled with irritations and conditions that are less than ideal. Personal
comfort often comes with a high price and is only temporary. A thrifty
person will put up with temporary messiness that is necessary for
productivity "Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by
the strength of the ox" (Proverbs 14:4).
4.
Thriftiness is having only those personal possessions that are
functional.
Jesus
is the ultimate example of thriftiness. He owned only the things that were
essential for life and ministry. When He sent out the twelve disciples, He
"gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he
sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. And he said
unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither
bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece" (Luke 9:1-3).
Paul
also understood how temporal things can be a hindrance to effectiveness in
the work of the Lord. "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss
for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the
excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have
suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win
Christ" (Philippians 3:7-8).
5.
Thriftiness is making offers rather than asking for quotes.
The
wisdom that God gave Solomon included the ability to gain and retain riches.
He compared a man's responsibility to preserve his riches with a woman's
responsibility to maintain her purity. "A gracious woman retaineth honour:
and strong men retain riches" (Proverbs 11:16). Solomon provides a
significant example of negotiating for the best buy through his business
dealings with King Hiram.
First,
Solomon reaffirmed the friendship that existed between his father, David,
and King Hiram. Then he explained the importance of the building he was
planning for the God of Heaven. He requested lumber from King Hiram's
forests, but he himself supplied the labor, which greatly reduced the cost.
Then he made his offer:
"Send
me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon: for I know
that thy servants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my
servants shall be with thy servants, Even to prepare me timber in abundance:
for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great. And,
behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty
thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley,
and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil" (II
Chronicles 2:8-10).
Solomon
also advises the buyer that a seller will inflate the value of his products,
and this must be counteracted in a gracious way. "It is nought, it is
nought, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth"
(Proverbs 20:14).
6.
Thriftiness is gathering up the fragments after a project.
When
Jesus fed the five thousand, He demonstrated thriftiness by not allowing the
remaining food to go to waste. "And they did all eat, and were filled: and
they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full" (Matthew
14:20).
Thriftiness requires diligence, whereas extravagance breeds slothfulness.
Solomon pointed out this when he wrote, "The slothful man roasteth not that
which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious"
(Proverbs 12:27).
7.
Thriftiness is saving during times of plenty.
When a
person's income increases, it is his tendency to also increase his standard
of living, spending the increase on personal comforts and luxuries. This
tendency is identified in Scripture. "When goods increase, they are
increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof,
saving the beholding of them with their eyes?" (Ecclesiastes 5:11).
On the
other hand, Joseph demonstrated the wisdom of thriftiness when he gave a
survival plan to Pharaoh. During the years of plenty, twenty percent of the
harvest was stored, and then it was used during the lean years. (See Genesis
41.)
Thriftiness requires a long-range goal that is more important than immediate
luxuries and conveniences. Our goal is to advance God's kingdom and please
the Lord.
Three Requirements for Thriftiness
Because
thriftiness is related to good stewardship, the requirements that Jesus gave
to His disciples for faithfulness would' apply.
First,
one must be faithful in little things.
Second,
one must be faithful in the use of money.
Third,
one must be faithful in caring for that which belongs to another person.
Personal Evaluation-How thrifty are you?
Do you
keep detailed records of your resources so you know how they are being
spent?
Do you
take time to evaluate the profitability of each investment you make?
Do you
plan out each day so you can make the wisest use of every hour?
Do you
use principles of negotiation so you can get the best buy and also help your
suppliers save money?
Do you
save all you can so you can have available funds to give?
Are you
using your energies and resources primarily for yourself or for the needs of
others?
Do you
study procedures to see how they can be more efficient and less costly?
When
your income in-creases, do you keep the same standard of living so you have
more to give?
When
God reviews your investments of time, energy, and money, will He commend you
for your thriftiness or condemn you for extravagance?
Adapted from : The
Power for True Success: How to Build Character in Your Life
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 Sharing
The Parable of The Rich Fool
Rev Stanley Chua
Scripture
Passage:
Luke 12:13-21
Summary:
The parable describes a financially successful man, yet Jesus tells us the
rich man was a fool! Nobody wants to be a fool, but the tragedy in life is
that some people become foolish; especially when their sole aim is to pursue
material wealth. It has a way of making even the wisest of us seem foolish
at times. We want enough or perhaps a bit more resources to enjoy life and
provide for our families, and God is not against riches. But wealth can at
times rob us of our devotion to God and destroy our relationships with
others. Jesus addressed the issue of stewardship and money frequently
because money matters. If we are to learn to grow in Christ and love God
wholeheartedly, we need to have a right perspective on money.
The parable
provides four signs to guard against:
1.
We become foolish when our saving becomes hoarding. The main concern
of the rich man was to store and conserve his wealth. He did not think of
helping others and never shared his possessions. There is nothing wrong with
saving, except when it develops into hoarding and greed. This shows we are
finding satisfaction in the wrong place. The end result would be spiritual
poverty.
2.
We become foolish when our only goal in life is self indulgence. In verses
17-19, the rich man used the
words “I“ and “mine” at least ten times. He did not see others or even God
as
a source of his bounty, but credited all his wealth to his own doing. His
error was not his success; rather, the issue was his self indulgence and aim
of enjoying a long life of ease.
3.
We become foolish when our planning is presumptuous. The parable shows how
much we can assume, and how little we can guarantee the future. The rich man
was planning on living a long life. His mistake of not taking God into
consideration was presumptive planning. Such an attitude is condemned in
James 4: 13-16. There is a difference between goal setting and presumptive
planning. We should daily realise our complete dependence on God, and the
possibility that our plans for the future may not be
God’s will for us. Life is
unpredictable. Presumptive planning is a sign that we are finding
satisfaction in the wrong place.
4.
We become foolish when we see our wealth as only being in the
material. A material person views wealth as more important than spiritual
values. The priority is to pursue wealth and luxury at all costs. The
biggest problem with such a materialistic philosophy is that people treat
the temporal as if it were eternal, and the eternal as if it was
non-existent. The rich fool was so consumed with getting rich that he forgot
all these were temporary. The choice of material possessions over spiritual
riches is fatal.
5.
How can we store riches in heaven? Jesus says it is through
dependence on God, prayer and fasting, giving to the poor, loving your
enemies and a host of other heaven directed activities that we store up
riches in heaven (Mt 6). We must take heed not to live just for the pursuit
of material wealth. It is more a blessing to give than to receive.
The Good Steward
Rev Ivan Tan
Scripture Passage:
Matthew 24:45-51 – Parable of the Stewards
Summary:
The context of Matthew 24:45-51 is Jesus’ teaching about His return at the
end of time. The warning in the passage before is “to be ready”, for the
time of His return is not known. Thus, while we wait for His coming again,
the Lord urges us to be good stewards.
The Greek word for ‘steward’ is oikonómos which stems from two words:
oíkos, meaning house or household and nemó which is to allot
or apportion.
So a steward is someone who is entrusted by the master to manage or take
care of the household. In the master’s absence, a good steward is one who is
faithful and wise. He carries out his duties to ensure the household is
properly taken care of and is always ready for the master’s return. When
that happens, the good steward is commended and rewarded. In contrast, the
bad steward takes advantage of the master’s delayed return and neglects his
duties. He is called ‘wicked’ for not being ready to face his master and a
warning of severe reprimand highlights the seriousness of this neglect.
We are God’s
stewards, who are entrusted with authority and represent our Master.
Stewards can only be either good or bad. What has God entrusted us with?
Many precious things – God’s Gifts, Grace and Earth.
God’s Gifts – we
are bestowed many gifts by God. Each of us has talents, opportunities in
life, possessions, family and loved ones. We are to be grateful for all
these, and take care of them.
God’s Grace – “As
each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of
God's varied grace" (1 Pet. 4:10). We are beneficiaries of God’s grace. We
have received the Gospel of our salvation, spiritual gifts and the ministry
of reconciliation. In turn, we are to share the good news, exercise those
gifts and be agents of forgiveness and reconciliation.
God’s Earth – God
has created the earth in all its wonder and beauty. Genesis 2:15 tells us,
“The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and
keep it”. We are responsible to work the earth and to take care of it. If we
are faithful with small things, we will be faithful with much. We should do
our part to reduce, reuse and recycle all the resources entrusted to us as
good stewards of God’s earth.
On this pledge
Sunday, we are reminded that our pledge is an expression of our commitment
to God. All that we have belongs to Him. Are we good or bad stewards? Are we
faithful and wise in taking care of all that He has entrusted us with?
Let us pledge our
whole lives to Him!
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 Scriptures
Isaiah
55: 8-9
8 "For my
thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the
Lord.
9 "As the
heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and
my thoughts than your thoughts."
55:8
耶和华说、我的意念、非同你们的意念、我的道路、非同你们的道路。
55:9
天怎样高过地、照样我的道路、高过你们的道路、我的意念、高过你们的意念。
"I
have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the
weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more
blessed to give than to receive" Acts 20:35
"While
we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not
seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are
not seen are eternal." Corinthians 4:18
"The
kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man
hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he
hath, and buyeth that field."-Matthew 13:44
"Every
where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry,
both to abound and to suffer need."-Philippians 4:12
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