Scripture
Our verse for today comes from John 6:68, ” Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.’ “
Background
A few years ago marked the 500th anniversary of the death of Luca Pacioli. Born in Tuscany, Pacioli became a Franciscan friar in his mid-twenties. Friars differ from monks in that, while they vow to live a life of poverty, chastity, and obedience as monks do, friars live out their vows in and among society. Whereas monks exist in a cloistered community that is self-sufficient, friars work among the people and depend upon them for their support. Pacioli was educated as a mathematician and published several works on the subject, taught publicly and privately, and even collaborated with Leonardo de Vinci. But in 1494, he published a book that explained what is now called double-entry bookkeeping. To you and me, that means debits and credit, expenses and revenue, gains and losses. Before Pacioli, double-entry accounting had been used, but only in fairly isolated instances. Pacioli earned the nickname ” The Father of Accounting ” because his book provided the first detailed explanation of the system, thereby enabling others to study and employ it. And so, they would formally learn that a transaction must have two equal but opposite entries. Cash going out, for example, would be offset by the item gained coming in.
Application
There are two sides to many more things than mere accounting. Our spiritual lives teach us this truth. For to follow Jesus is to deny Satan. To seek after Him is to further distance yourself from the trappings of the devil. One cannot grow closer to Christ while also delving in the ways of this world and its master. To do that would be to try to enter two debits without an offsetting credit. It simply does not work that way. Before double-entry bookkeeping, merchants simply documented what they spent and what they earned, and totaled it up to see how they came out. After Pacioli, that all changed. And because of Jesus, the eternal books are much more clear. Follow Him, and you shall one day see your name in His manuscript. Seek after Him, and He will make your treasures in heaven to overflow beyond what any numbers can record.
Charge
As we seek Him today, invest what God has given you back into knowing and loving Him. Live the balanced life that He desires for you.
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Author – Rich Holt | BCWorldview.org
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