Living your life by kingdom principles

In Luke 16:1-13, Jesus gives the parable known as the unjust steward. Parables are stories that Jesus told to teach kingdom principles. In this parable, the unjust steward hasn't been taking care of the master's goods like he should have been. He was wasting the master's goods. The master calls in the steward and basically tells him, "That's it, you're done working for me. You're fired!"

The unjust steward calls those owing to the master and makes deals with them. The debtors were allowed to reduce what they owed the master and in the future these debtors would help the unjust steward. Then verse 8 says, "The master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly."

Imagine that, the boss comes in and tells the employee what a good job he's done for stealing from him. What's wrong with this picture?

Is Jesus telling us to lie, cheat and steal " to do whatever we have to so our future will be assured? Obviously no. The lesson in this parable is in the second part of the verse: "For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light."

Jesus is saying to the unjust steward, "Hey, you really know how to work the worldly system." In other words, the people of this world know how to work the earthly system better than the sons and daughters of light know how to function in the kingdom of God! People of the world know how to work the world ways better for their own lives than Christians know how to work kingdom principles in their own lives.

These are stark words by Jesus that remind us not to just read about and study and hear about kingdom principles but we need to apply them and use them in our own lives.

How many Christians do you know that are struggling with relationships today? How many Christians do you know that are struggling with addictions and bondages today? The answer isn't programs although they can help with habits that lead to wrong actions. The answer isn't you trying to struggle through it on your own.

Only Jesus is the answer. The debt won't suddenly disappear. Bad relationships won't just suddenly become great loving, caring relationships. And in most cases, addictions and bondages won't suddenly be broken. Wrong handling of finances, relationships and drugs (both legal and illegal kinds) are what caused these problems that people live in today.

It's kingdom values lived out in our finances, relationships, and every other area of our lives that assure anyone of a life that's blessed and joyful. There will always be those tough times because life is life and the storms of life will always come.

But when we hear His words, ponder them, study them and then live them, the storms won't make our house (our life) come crashing down. Learn kingdom values, learn kingdom principles and most importantly use them in your life.

n Pastor Ron Mogab of Cornerstone Christian Fellowship is a member of the Carson Valley Ministers' Association.