Life 360

Once there was a man who was about to leave home on a trip; he called his servants and put them in charge of his property.  He gave to each one according to his ability: to one he gave five thousand gold coins, to another he gave two thousand, and to another he gave one thousand. Then he left on his trip.  The servant who had received five thousand coins went at once and invested his money and earned another five thousand.  In the same way the servant who had received two thousand coins earned another two thousand.  But the servant who had received one thousand coins went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money. –Mat 25:14-18  (Good News Bible)

Like it or not, your entire life orbits around management. How you manage your life determines many or most of the outcomes you experience.  Sure, it’s obvious that we all experience external circumstances that come to bear on certain issues: your teenager wrecks you car, you get laid off because of economic downturn, your house suddenly and unexpectedly needs renovated due to flooding brought on by someone leaving on a water spigot (that one happened to me).  These kinds of things are beyond our control.

But what about the great number of things that are ultimately within the bounds of our control?  Your career choices, the way you raise children, the opportunities that come your way, the concerns you carry, the relationships in your life, the way you spend your money…these are a small sampling of things over which you can employ some life management and see results.

In the parable above, Jesus brings the life principle of management, or stewardship as it’s called in the Bible, front and center.  He points out that the master gives in trust a certain amount to manage according to the individuals’ abilities.  Wow, just think; we may receive more from the Lord to manage if we will grow in our ability to manage what He gives us.

And then there are those who simply neglect to manage the trust given them.  They simply do nothing to make it grow.  In our parable, when the master returns he calls all the stewards to give an accounting.  He makes it clear that he had expected them to increase what had been given to them, and he is quite unhappy with the steward who did nothing to bring growth from his investment.  (Mt.25.19-27)

Life 360

As I said before, your entire life orbits around your management abilities.  Introducing Life 360!  Think in terms of a 360 degree perimeter.  The 360 degree concept implies all side, all segments, the full orb or circumference.  Stewardship, or life management, encompasses all of life—all that we have and all that we are.  We know a few things for certain about God’s view of stewardship.

1. He wants us to learn to increase what He has given us, not just consume it. (Mt.25:26-27)

2. He expects us to be faithful in it.  “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.”  (1 Cor.4:2)

3. He wants us to manage our trusts in such a way that we have enough to share with others.  “Each one, as a good manager of God’s different gifts, must use for the good of others the special gift he has received from God.” (1Pe 4:10 GNB)

There are at least seven important areas of life which we can learn to manage in such a way that brings growth, increase, maturity, blessing, and it pleases God.  The Bible teaches us about managing our time, our relationships, our commitments, our opportunities, our finances and assets, our abilities, and our concerns.

Beginning February 13, we’re going to take several weeks and examine this great honor and responsibility God has entrusted to us.  Life 360 is a plan to make the most of that sacred trust…a 360 degree plan.

For more in this series, read Living the Good Life.

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