Stewardship - It’s A Privilege
‘Every faculty you have, your power of thinking or of moving your limbs from moment to moment, is given you by God. If you devoted every moment of your whole life exclusively to His service, you could not give Him anything that was not in a sense His own already.’ – C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
At the heart of Christian stewardship is the recognition that all life is a gift from God. All that we are and all that we have - every conceivable thing that flows from and through life, has been entrusted to us by a generous and loving God. Becoming aware of these gifts and choosing to be intentional in the way we nurture and share them is an issue of stewardship. God not only gives us gifts for our own enjoyment and fulfilment, but also for the care and nurture of others. His desire is that we make a conscious choice on how we manage what He has given us - particularly as we seek to partner with Him and grow in our call to discipleship. We are always free to choose, but the question remains - how are we going to respond!
“Stewardship is not a program or campaign, it is a posture and way of life that comes from recognising what we have in our hands. It's about taking responsibility for those things, nurturing them well and giving them away as we go. It’s about prioritising, generosity, action, and embracing the freedom that comes from living in a way that reflects our God given identity.
So How Can We Grow In Our Posture Of Stewardship?
Meditate on scriptures that will help you develop an understanding of stewardship
Be attentive to all God has given you - develop the practice of thanksgiving
Spend time asking God to show you His heart and where He wants you to partner with Him
Ask God to draw your attention to areas of service to others. What's the need and where. What can I bring to help!
Spend some time thinking about generosity - do you love to share what you have?
Notice where and when you struggle to share or give away. Ask God to shed light on this. Give Him permission to show you through his eyes.
Encourage the gifts and talents that you see in others.
Show gratitude for the people that God has brought into your life. Call or email to let them know how they have blessed you - let them know that you care and appreciate them.