Luke 16:10-15 Have you ever heard anyone say, or maybe you have said, if I had a million dollars, I would ... "It's an idea that sounds really good, but in reality it is most generally true that the more abundance we have, the smaller is the proportion that we use in ministering to others. The Scripture itself says that "The love of money is the root of all evil." I Timothy 6:10. There are a number of things that are very addictive: for example, money, power, and possessions. If children are given these things in measured quantities and trained in the proper use of them, the likelihood is that when they mature and are trusted with more, the additional will also be used wisely. In our world today, we have several generations that have never learned how to use possessions and power wisely. The important principle in the Scripture today is that one who is irresponsible in small things will also be irresponsible in the bigger things. It is not the things or the position that bring wisdom; but it is what is in the person that is in control of these possessions regardless of the amount. Notice there is "worldly wealth" and "true wealth", and it may be that Spiritual poverty is a result of never having learned how to deal in the material realm. There is a real parallel here. Notice Jesus then moves between handling the property of others and being given property that is our own. What this is telling us is that the possessions and power we use is not ours, it is God's. A great majority of the time we use it as though it belonged to us. Worse than that, often it becomes our god. It is just like Jesus when He told His disciples, "there is so much more I want to say to you but you're just not able to handle it." There is so much more - let's learn the lessons.

Overcoming Spiritual Poverty