On Being Trustworthy Investors
We are personally responsible for the gifts and resources God has given us, and will be held accountable for how we use them.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the importance of being trustworthy investors of the gifts God has bestowed upon us, regardless of their size. He reminds us that God's gifts are acts of unearned generosity, and we should not compare our blessings with others. Each individual is accountable for how they utilize their unique store of time, talents, and resources, and will face judgment based on their stewardship. Tozer warns that the waste of these gifts is a tragic reality that we must avoid, urging us to recognize our responsibility in managing what God has given us.
Text
To each of us God has issued a certain store as it has pleased Him: to one more, to another less. And since God owes us nothing, anything He gives us may be put down to His unearned generosity. The man with a smaller store dare not complain against God for having given him less than his neighbor received. God?s gifts are not debts which He pays us, but gratuities bestowed out of pure mercy.
One thing taught large in the Holy Scriptures is that while God gives His gifts freely, He will require a strict accounting of them at the end of the road. Each man is personally responsible for his store, be it large or small, and will be required to explain his use of it before the judgment seat of Christ.
The store is nothing new, just the old familiar list of human possessions: time, talents, earthly goods, opportunities. Though they are as common as the grass beside the path, the waste of them constitutes one of life?s most appalling tragedies.
Sermon Outline
- God's Generosity and Responsibility
- The Nature of Our Store
- Time
- Talents
- Earthly goods and opportunities
Key Quotes
“God's gifts are not debts which He pays us, but gratuities bestowed out of pure mercy.” — A.W. Tozer
“The waste of them constitutes one of life's most appalling tragedies.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- Recognize and appreciate the gifts and resources God has given you.
- Use your time, talents, and earthly goods wisely and for the glory of God.
- Avoid wasting the opportunities and resources God has given you.