Proverbs 10:16 “The wages of the righteous is life, but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death.”

Principle:Money and riches are neutral but have a powerful impact on the spiritual direction of a person’s life.

Lyman Stewart of Union Oil Company was a millionaire in the 1900s. Being a co-founder of BIOLA University and starting the Union Rescue Mission, Stewart used his wages to impact the world for Christ. He also helped numerous churches with their financial needs and published The Fundamentals, which had a huge influence on American Christianity.

In workplace thoughtfulness, Stewart was ahead of his time when he championed the policy that BIOLA should have “open doors” for all people without reference to race, color, class or creed. His insistence on thirty units of Bible instruction for every student produced an army of godly men and women entering the workforce.

Stewart’s last will and testament articulated his desire that every person in his family come to know Jesus Christ as Lord. It is not surprising therefore, that one of his nephews (Don Crowell) left a legacy at BIOLA of the Crowell School of Business.

Stewart was a righteous man who used his wages to bring spiritual riches to the world.

It is not the size of the gift that matters but the heart of the wage earner. The greatest of all givers said, “The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life.”

Discussion:

1. How are you using whatever “money and riches” you have to further the kingdom of God?

2. How can your business be used to further the kingdom of God?