Thought of the Day 12.16.08

Nietzsche observed that people often wrongly think they understand a thing merely because they have a label for it. For instance, if I ask the average Christian, “Who owns your money?” he’ll say, “God owns it. I’m just a steward.” But what’s a steward? When was the last time you saw one? So maybe we should try a more familiar metaphor.

Consider investment account managers. They handle a lot of money, doing on behalf of the investors whatever they instruct, whether that purpose is profit, charity, community development or anything else.

Now if they manage really well, their accounts will grow and they will be personally rewarded to some degree. But there is one simple concept that all money managers understand: the money is not their own. And there is a word for people who forget this fact: embezzlers.

So the question becomes quite simple. Are you being a good money manager for God, getting everything done with His money that He wants done? Or are you embezzling from Him to fund your own desires?