Now and Then

I love the story once told from the Highland pulpit by one of our elders, David Wray. I think he told it around the time when we were going to take up a special collection for Missions Sunday.

An couple named the Shaws were long-time members. They lived in the same house for 40 + years. Dressed plainly. Drove an old Rambler. And never had children. Upon their death at an old age, they left about $300,000 dollars willed to Highland and one of the ministries that was spun off of Highland years earlier. It was a marvelous story of good stewardship. The Shaws could have spent this money on themselves, buying a new car or bigger home. Rather, they chose to live below their means and thus were able to leave a third of a million dollars to go into kingdom work.

As I've been reading all these parables Jesus tells about being ready for His return, the story of the Shaws came to mind. He urges His followers to be faithful and watchful. This morning's reading was the story of the three men who were each entrusted by their master with a certain amount of gold. The first two invested the currency wisely, made double the amount and were richly rewarded when their master returned. Yet the third man, who received only one bag of gold, decided to take no risks. He buried the treasure, failed to make a dime and was thus punished severely by his boss for his poor stewardship.

It's obvious that how we live for Christ now makes a big difference in how we'll experience heaven then. Big rewards await the Shaws because they handled wisely the resources that the Lord loaned them during their earthly journey.

Reading this parable inevitably makes one think of how Christ-followers need to be good stewards of all the gifts that the Lord has entrusted us. So true. And yet I'd think us to think of the One who rewards us. It's pretty amazing, isn't it? He saves us by His grace but then He blesses us (now and for eternity) for how we live out this life of grace.

Knowing how deeply Christ loves us, how can we not but strive to be the best stewards of everthing He's entrusted to us -- our family, our time, natural talents and spiritual gifts. It's all His. His to be invested in good works that make Him famous.

Jesus promises rewards to His faithful stewards. And couples like the Shaws show us how to do it.

Jim