The Most Unimportant Thing

A Trivia Question

Here's a trivia question for you. What is the most unimportant, insignificant thing in life? Do you know?Jesus answers this question in Luke 16:10-12. He tells us that the most unimportant thing in life is material wealth and possessions. In short, it is money and the things that money can buy.He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?Material wealth deceives us by impressing us and promising many things.But money is nothing more than lumps of metal, pieces of paper and electronic digits. We collect it to feel secure. We exchange it with other people to get other things we need and desire. But God is not impressed. He calls it unrighteous (Luke 16:11), filthy (1 Tim. 3:3, 8, Tit. 1:7, 11, 1 Pet. 5:2) and the most unimportant thing (Luke 16:10). Do you agree?

The Right Response

So if money and wealth is the least important thing, should we ignore it, reject it and give it no attention? While this would be a logical conclusion, it would also be wrong.Since money is the least important thing, it is most important at the same time. Why? Because God gauges your character and reliability in the most important things by how you manage the least important thing. Think about that. The biblical, spiritual approach to money is to manage it in a responsible, faithful way. Why? Because it is the most unimportant thing.Christians easily fail to manage money the right way, committing one of two errors:

1. Some of us fail by trusting in money and valuing it too highly. We rely on it for happiness, security and status as the rest of the world does (1 Tim. 6:17).
2. Others of us fail by mismanaging money or neglecting it altogether. We ignore our balance sheets, refuse to budget, decline to save, give money away thoughtlessly and spend it frivolously (Prov. 21:20).

Both approaches fail to show faith in God and obedience to the principles of His Word. But there is a better way, a way that God calls faithful. Are you faithful with money?The faithful approach spends, saves and gives money. It does all of these things according to biblical principles, as God commands.Are you faithful to follow biblical principles in the way you handle money?