Be Prepared
Be Prepared
Precious treasure and oil are in the dwelling of a wise person, but a foolish man consumes them. (Prov. 21:20)
Living It Up
Many Christians today struggle to find balance in their financial lives. Some are overextended, having lots of stuff but little savings, while others are at the other extreme, living below their means to the point they’d be embarrassed to have coworkers over for dinner. We know Proverbs is full of warnings against accumulation of “things” and getting into debt, but then we have Scriptures like Ecclesiastes 5:19 that encourage us to enjoy our wealth and possessions. So where’s the middle ground? How should we think about the money God has given us to steward well?
Laying It Down
Perhaps the questions start with: “Does having this __________ make me a slave to my job, salary level, time away from home? If God were to take this away for a time, would my reserves be sufficient?”
Today’s verse reminds us to expect hardships and be prepared for tough times. So rather than spending every penny as soon as we have it, we must discipline ourselves to be prepared for adversity, whether our own or that of others around us. Being spiritually and physically prepared for God to use you for His work is a mark of a mature believer.
Bottom Line
In Matthew 25, Jesus reminds us of the importance of helping others in need—something we can’t easily do if we’re barely treading water ourselves.