“I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” Luke 16:9 (NIV)

Money is a tool—and tools are meant to be used.  In fact, Jesus said, “I tell you, use worldly wealth” (Luke 16:9 NIV).

Look again at the word he uses there: “use.” Jesus doesn’t tell you to love wealth or hoard it or worship it. He tells you to use it.

So what’s the best way to use the money God allows you to have?  Use your temporary resources for permanent good. In other words, use something that doesn’t last (money) for something that will last for eternity.

There are lots of ways you can use your money for good—but the very best way you can use it is to invest in getting people into heaven.

The rest of Luke 16:9 says, “I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings” (NIV).

That verse is often misunderstood. It’s not saying that you can buy friends or that you can purchase salvation. What it means is that you can use your money to build relationships that are going to last forever.

There are lots of ways to do that. You can give money to help a friend go on a mission trip. You can take an unbelieving friend out to lunch, building that relationship until they’re ready to hear and receive the Good News. You can buy a Christian book for a friend who is struggling.

These are countless ways to use your “worldly wealth” to make eternal investments.

Let me give you a little wisdom: Don’t waste your money on stuff because stuff doesn’t last. Only people and the Word of God will last for eternity. So the best investment you can make? It’s not in the stock market or in real estate. It’s in the Word of God and in people. Because those are the only things you won’t be leaving behind one day.

When you walk into heaven, I want a crowd to be there to welcome you—people who are there because you chose to invest in eternity while you were on earth. As Jesus said, “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:20-21 ESV). 

Talk It Over

• In what ways are you using your money for good right now?

• Are there times when you have loved money or hoarded money instead of using it for God’s purposes? What was the result?

• What eternal investments have you made with your money?