I considered it a great honor to be entrusted with this responsibility . Even though I saw large amounts of bills go into the bank bag , it never occurred to me that I should do anything other than deposit it . Why ? Because it wasn ’ t my money . It wasn ’ t my restaurant . I was just an employee . I was a steward .
Most of us spend life wandering around with an incorrect job description : the owner . But in truth , we are only stewards . I never thought of doing whatever I wanted with that money bag when I managed the hamburger joint because it wasn ’ t mine . The same is true with the resources God has given us . Emphasize to your donors that if God owns everything , we are only stewarding it for a short time .
3 . We are accountable .
In Matthew 25 , Jesus tells the story of an owner who goes away on a long trip , leaving behind three servants , each with a different amount of money . To the first , he gives five talents ; to the next , he gives two talents ; and to the third , he gives one talent . He then leaves on his journey . While he is gone , the first two servants wisely invest their money . But the third servant digs a hole and buries the master ’ s money in the ground .
If that were the end of the story , there would be little consequence to how each servant acted , right ? Think about it . If the master never returned , it would not matter what each servant did with the money . However , the story does not end there — the master returns , which is precisely Jesus ’ s point . When the master returns , each servant is held accountable for how he invested ( or failed to invest ) the money .
Jesus tells this story to illustrate the importance of being faithful with whatever God has given us , not just money . Romans 14:12 repeats the same idea : “ So then each of us will give an account of himself to God .” Throughout Scripture , Jesus ’ s point holds true : We will be held accountable . Teach donors that because God owns everything and nothing is ours , we are held accountable for how we manage His possessions .
4 . There is reward ( and loss ).
Many different Scripture passages address this idea of rewards : “ Look , I am coming soon ! My reward is with me , and I will give to each person according to what they have done ” ( Rev . 22:12 ).
“ For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father ’ s glory with his angels , and then he will reward each person according to what they have done ” ( Matt . 16:27 ).
“ He who plants and he who waters are one , and each will receive his wages according to his labor ” ( 1 Cor . 3:8 ).
“ Investing in heaven is a foolproof investment — it won ’ t rust , fade , or disappear .”
On the one hand , these verses are sobering . They reflect the idea that what we do in this life matters and that God pays attention to what we do . But they should also be motivating . Clearly , Jesus is coming back , and He will reward those who have followed Him . Not all believers will have the same experience in heaven . While all who believe in Christ will get to experience the joy of heaven , some will have a far greater and richer experience . Some believers will be more faithful with what God gave them . They will receive a different reward .
5 . Invest in eternity .
Do you remember the Enron scandal of 2001 ? At one point , Enron was a stock-market darling . The business seemed to be skyrocketing toward success , and the investors piled on . But eventually , the good times ended , and the stock price crashed after the disclosures of its poor accounting practices .
Imagine if someone came to you and said , “ Would you like to invest in Enron stock ?” Assuming you knew the accounting practices were fraudulent and the stock price would soon crash , would you invest ? Of course , you wouldn ’ t . No one in their right mind would make that investment . You ’ d be crazy to invest in a company that you knew was going to fail . Jesus said it this way : “ Truly , I say to you , there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands , for my sake and for the gospel , who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time , houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands , with persecutions , and in the age to come eternal life ” ( Mark 10:29-30 ).
Every investor would jump at the promise of a hundredfold return . The investment in heaven is guaranteed . Explain to your donors that investing in the things of this earth is like investing in Enron stock . On the other hand , investing in heaven is a foolproof investment — it won ’ t rust , fade , or disappear .
In summary , remember to invest in educating your donors as much as educating your students . Teach your donors that everything belongs to God . They will be held accountable as stewards of someone else ’ s possessions , and God will reward them for their faithfulness . In the long run , living for eternity is the only smart investment they can make . ■
Bill High practiced law for twelve years before becoming the CEO of The Signatry . As CEO , he has spent over eighteen years helping families live simply and give generously . He specializes in coaching families , individual givers , and financial advisers regarding biblical generosity and family legacy . He and his wife , Brooke , have four children and three grandchildren . He can be found at billhigh . com .
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