I'll Rest When I'm Dead

Luke 12:13-21 (NKJV)
13 Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."
14 But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?"
15 And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."
16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.
17 "And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'
18 "So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.
19 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."'
20 "But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'
21 "So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."


So often, in the name of wise financial stewardship, I worry and pour over how to invest and or store up a financial "safety net" for emergencies and eventual retirement. I search for pennies to pinch and the occasional financial windfall is cause for hours of studious contemplation.

It is so easy to forget that God's definition of wise financial stewardship is ALWAYS generosity. Generosity toward God, generosity toward those in need. Undoubtedly, because He has the best seat in the house to see just how unsafe my safety net of money is, just how fragile, just how out of my control, and ultimately just how irrelevant. My life is eternal, yet I waste my short span on this earth worrying about how to provide for and enjoy my short span on this earth rather than its impact on my eternity and that of my loved ones.

No amount of effort on my part will ever make my financial safety net safe. Nothing I do can control what tomorrow will bring, be it wealth, poverty, or death. Thank God, He knows tomorrow and can provide for me in it.

What is worthy of my time and effort today is not planning for my retirement, but standing in awe of the God of the universe, Who cares enough about me, not just to provide for my eternity, but even to provide for my tomorrow.

Thank You Dad.