Be Alert and Save!

Luke 12: 37 says, "Blessed are the servants whom the master shall find on the alert when he comes home."  In verse 44 he says, "he will put him in charge of all his possessions."  However, the servant that says, '"My master will be a long time coming and he begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk," he is a wicked servant.

Servant-hood requires stewardship.  It implies that you are put in charge of a task in which you have to manage your time, your gifts, and usually someone else's possessions.  That's stewardship!  In the passage above Jesus is speaking of the difference between a steward and a prodigal.  Remember a prodigal is one that squanders away his inheritance.  They shirk their responsibilities and focus completely on themselves rather than the task at hand.  All of us are given time, gifts, and possessions to manage properly.  When we take care of these things and use them properly we are like the servant whom the master finds "on the alert."

What does it look like to be "on the alert" when it comes to the way we handle our finances?  It means we are in control of them, not the other way around.  One aspect of controlling your money rather than letting it control you is saving.  If you make money and the first thing you do is put it all directly into your pocket, your purse or your checking account it will soon be gone!  That's why we use the phrase, "I've got some money burning a whole in my pocket."  When it is available and we see something we think we just "got to have," then we buy it and the money quickly disappears.  However, if you take a little of that money and put it in a savings account then when you stop at the convenient store you won't spend all $10 on junk food.  You still have $5 in the bank!


Saving is important for many reasons, but one is that it keeps you "on the alert" for emergencies.  Saving gives you an emergency fund that allows you to pay for things if something unexpected happens.  Like when you drop your phone and it breaks!  Some of you just expect your parents to get you a knew one.  But a steward saves and buys the new on his on.  Actually, the steward wouldn't drop their phone in the first place because they are not careless with their stuff.  However, we all know accidents happen.  So an emergency fund helps you in those situations.

Saving also allows you to purchase things that you've been waiting to buy.  Like a car when you turn 16!  Take a minute to listen to Rachel Cruz Ramsey's story of saving for a car.  (It's only 3 minutes!  Click on the link!) Watch video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dTNWe-9Kag