Luke 16:1-9 (MSG) Jesus said to his disciples, “There was once a rich man who had a manager. He got reports that the manager had been taking advantage of his position by running up huge personal expenses. So he called him in and said, ‘What’s this I hear about you? You’re fired. And I want a complete audit of your books.’ “The manager said to himself, ‘What am I going to do? I’ve lost my job as manager. I’m not strong enough for a laboring job, and I’m too proud to beg…. Ah, I’ve got a plan. Here’s what I’ll do… then when I’m turned out into the street, people will take me into their houses.’ “Then he went at it. One after another, he called in the people who were in debt to his master. He said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ “He replied, ‘A hundred jugs of olive oil.’ “The manager said, ‘Here, take your bill, sit down here—quick now—write fifty.’ “To the next he said, ‘And you, what do you owe?’ “He answered, ‘A hundred sacks of wheat.’ “He said, ‘Take your bill, write in eighty.’ 

“Now here’s a surprise: The master praised the crooked manager! And why? Because he knew how to look after himself. Streetwise people are smarter in this regard than law-abiding citizens. They are on constant alert, looking for angles, surviving by their wits. I want you to be smart in the same way—but for what is right—using every adversity to stimulate you to creative survival, to concentrate your attention on the bare essentials, so you’ll live, really live, and not complacently just get by on good behavior.”

It’s exciting to think about shedding the baggage of life, clinging to the bare essentials, and then using our freedom to live cleverly for Christ… not just going through the motions, but abiding in such a way that we are able to change course quickly. If you have ever sat through a church meeting, this is NOT what the church or most organizations are known for – adaptive change – it seems like it may be easier to physically move a mountain than to introduce change in many situations. While children of the world are many times forced to adapt quickly, children of the Light can get so focused on doing or being right that we heap mounds of burdens on ourselves, locking us into position. Here Jesus gives us permission to shed those burdens and abide freely, adapting to circumstances as we walk with Him. He’ll make it clear when the time comes – we don’t have to run around guessing what to do next. Abiding in peace is the key. Letting God be God and Living in the joy of being His.