Friends for Eternity

In Luke 16:1-15, Jesus tells the parable about the shrewd manager. The manager had many faults, but he was smart enough to use his resources to plan for the future. Jesus explained, “I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings” (v. 9).

How can we use our resources to “gain friends” for eternity? By committing our time, our money, and our spiritual gifts to sharing the Gospel with others.

Jesus is not saying that we buy our friends. He is saying that by committing our resources now to the ministry of the Gospel, we will have friends in heaven who will welcome us with joy because we helped make it possible for them to hear about Jesus.

This Truth should reshape the way we think about everything God has entrusted to us. Our possessions, abilities, and opportunities are not ends in themselves—they are Kingdom resources placed in our hands for a season. Every dollar invested in the spread of the Gospel, every hour spent serving in Christ’s name, and every act of faithful obedience has eternal significance. The world measures success by what we accumulate, but God measures faithfulness by how we steward what He has given us for His glory. One day, the temporary things of this world will pass away, but the souls reached through our faithful stewardship will remain forever. What greater joy could there be than hearing the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” and meeting those whose lives were transformed because we invested in what lasts forever?

In this life, we will never know the full impact we have had on others. We may never know if that person we witnessed to ever committed himself to Christ. We may not realize the true impact of the money we gave to spread the Gospel. We may not discover the effect we had as a Bible study teacher, a small group leader, or a nursery worker. But we will in heaven. In heaven, we will meet those people who learned of God’s love because of something we did.

Prayer: God, give me Your eyes to see the lost around me and Your words to share the hope I have in You. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.