In verse 8, Jesus says that Christians need to learn a lesson in shrewdness from the world. In the secular world there are a lot of people who successfully expend large amounts of effort and imagination in looking out for their own interests very successfully. Bill Bowerman shrewdly redefined running shoe design when he poured rubber into his waffle iron. Shrewd marketing created the frenzy around the “Tickle Me Elmo” doll. Andrew Fischer shrewdly auctioned off the empty space on his forehead to the highest bidder on e-Bay for $37,375.

Unfortunately, sometimes we Christians are not shrewd. Many Christians put much more effort and imagination into teaching in “real schools” than in teaching Sunday school. Some of us haphazardly run committee meetings in a way that would never fly in the secular world. We may present the Gospel to others with little thought and imagination.

We must be shrewd for God. Chuck Swindoll said, “Ministries cannot become great without dreamers who weary of only maintenance year in, year out. We need more [people] who have the creativity and tenacity to break with boredom and try the unusual.”

We should be shrewd in worshipping. Maybe you shrewdly figure out that you can more effectively pray while walking instead of sitting.

We should be shrewd in connecting. Maybe you shrewdly prepare a Sunday meal at home before going to church and then seek out new people to invite over after church.

We should be shrewd in serving. A shrewd Christian looks behind the beaches and big houses of Naples and discovers the needs and uses effort and imagination in meeting those needs.

We should be shrewd in inviting. You might involve yourself with a secular group to develop relationships with unbelievers. We should scheme about how to bring the message of salvation through Jesus Christ to our community with the same effort and imagination that we use in developing a strategic plan for marketing our product in the secular world.

Shrewdness for God has eternal rewards. It’s only through the love and grace of God through Jesus Christ that any of us will find a place in heaven. We can’t get to heaven by anything that we do, no matter how shrewd it is. But Jesus says in verse 9 that we will be welcomed into eternity by the friends of God that we have made through our effort and imagination in serving God.

Examine your own life and determine how you can increase your shrewdness for God. Look at how God is calling you to serve him and review your resources. Becoming shrewder does not necessarily mean doing more. Many of us do things for God poorly because we are too busy. Being shrewd means doing a few things well with effort and imagination.

Be shrewd for God.

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Mark Debowski is Associate Teaching Pastor at Center Point Community Church in Naples, Florida.