Is This Credit Card Bill Going to Matter in 100 Years?

As a Christian, I know that I am going to spend a lot longer on the other side of death than I do on this side. One technique I use to keep a more "eternal" perspective on life is to ask myself, "Is this going to matter in 100 years?" When I start to worry about things like health, or confusing relationships with the opposite sex, or my finances, I remind myself that in 100 years (barring a medical breakthrough) I will no longer be in this world. I will be in a much better world where I don't have these concerns. I feel comforted by this thought.

That said, there are quite a few things that we can do in this world that will matter in 100 years, both because the impact of our lives can last longer than our lives on earth, and because God says he will judge and reward our actions.

One verse I'd like to look at today, that really caught my attention a little while back, is Luke 16:11. It says,

"Therefore if you have not been faithful in the {use of} unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true {riches} to you?" (NASB)

This comes right after Jesus' story of the shrewd manager, who lowered the debts of people who owed his master money so that they were ingratiated to him and gave him a place to stay when he lost his job. It is questionable whether Jesus approved the manager's tactics, but the verse above does make an important point. Handling money is practice for handling true riches.

God is watching us all to see if we are responsible with money. If we are, He is more likely to entrust us with things that matter--whether this be an assignment in heaven or the salvation of people here on earth. (The passage is not clear on what specifically the "true riches" are.)

So, will that credit card bill matter in 100 years? Perhaps the bill itself won't, but the way you deal with it now will affect your opportunities to be trusted as a steward of God's precious resources. And that will matter in 100 years.