An Illustration of Stewardship

“And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?” Luke 16:12

Once upon a time there was a man who had nothing, and God gave him 10 apples. He gave him the first 3 apples to eat, He gave him the second 3 apples to trade for shelter from the sun and rain, He gave him the third 3 apples to trade for clothing to wear. And He gave him the last apple so that he might have something to give back to God to show his gratitude for the other nine.

The man ate the first 3 apples, he traded the second 3 for shelter from the sun and rain, he traded the third 3 for clothing to wear. Then he looked at the tenth apple, and it seemed bigger and juicer than all the rest. He knew that God had given him the tenth apple so that he might return it to Him out of gratitude for the other nine. But, the tenth apple looked bigger and juicer than the rest, and he reasoned that God had all the other apples in the world.

So the man ate the tenth apple and gave back to God the core. God has given you enough apples to supply your needs, plus one with which you may show your gratitude to Him.

The choice is yours, will you return to God the largest and juiciest of your apples, or only the core? The point is, God has given you His best, we need to give Him our best !