Be Shrewd

Do you make astute decisions? How cunning is your thought process when you are put in a bind? Do you keenly consider all options before you choose one? Have you been told you are being shrewd? Do you think you should be shrewd? Why or why not?

When we think of shrewdness, we may also think of someone being miserly. Yet, that is not what being shrewd means. It means we are astute, cunning, or keen. In other words, we are considering the options available and making the best choice for ourselves.

In a worldly perspective, this is being selfish. We are only looking out for our own well-being. We don’t consider the impact of our decision on others. However, in a spiritual perspective, making decisions regarding our eternal life, we are commended to be shrewd by Jesus. How so?

In Luke 16:1-7, Jesus tells a parable of a rich man who has a financial manager who is being fraudulent. The rich man calls him out. The manager quickly has the debtors of the rich man lower what they owe him by simply having them make an entry in his logbook. The manager is being shrewd by getting the debtors to be his accomplices and seeking to provide for himself in the future when he is no longer employed by the rich man.

Jesus commends the manager for his shrewdness and states that God’s followers should be just as shrewd or even shrewder. However, Jesus is not speaking of being shrewd to further ourselves in this world. No, he is speaking to our seeking to be shrewder concerning our eternal life. In other words, Jesus is saying we need to be more concerned for carrying out His will than seeking earthly fortunes. We will continue this story tomorrow.

I pray we all learn the lesson of the shrewd financial manager. I pray we decide to be shrewd with our eternal life. I pray each one of us will choose to put God’s will ahead of our own desires. Seek to be shrewd toward eternal life. Obey God’s will. Set aside your desires. Be a true follower of Jesus Christ.

Luke 16:13 “And the Lord praised the agent [bound up, as he was, in the world] of unrighteousness because he acted shrewdly, because worldlings are more shrewd in taking advantage of their opportunities than are the children of light.”