Stewards

“Authority is not given to us to use all God has given us for our own purposes.”   We are not kings but we are stewards of the King!!  Last Sunday we discovered the fundamental principle of biblical stewardship is God’s ownership of everything including us and

all that he has given us.  This includes our treasure, our time and our talents.

In the Crown Small Group Study, we discuss that acknowledging God’s ownership often requires a transformation in thinking and it is contrary to much of what we are bombarded with daily in the media and elsewhere.   Crown offers a 30 day challenge to help transform our thinking including:

• Meditating on 1 Chronicles 29:11-12 each day
• Be careful in the use of personal pronouns: consider substituting “the” or “the Lord’s” for “my,” “mine,” and “ours. 
• For the next 30 days, ask God to make you aware of His ownership.
• Every time you purchase something, acknowledge God’s ownership of the item.

The Apostle Paul states in Philippians 4:11b-13 “for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”  Paul describes the diversity of his living situations throughout his life refers to discovering the secret of being content in his relationship with Christ.  Contentment is a strong indicator of whether we are being transformed into stewards and it is clear that Paul went through this transformation.  

When it comes to recognizing God’s ownership of all that I have, one of the biggest challenges for me is when something happens to one of my possession.  Many times when something new or something I like is broken or misplaced, I can easily become frustrated or angry and my family often has to experience the brunt of my frustration over a thing…a thing that I truly don’t own but rather is something I steward over for God.  This part of my life is being slowly transformed. 

Contrast this with the following illustration from the Crown small group study:  Shortly after a man named Jim came to grips with God’s ownership, he purchased a car.  He had driven the car only two days before someone rammed into the side of it.  Jim’s first reaction was “Lord, I don’t know why You want a dent in Your car, but now You’ve got a big one!”    Lord may we all continue to be transformed to the point that we would see all that we have been given the way Jim does.  Everything comes from You Lord and everything belongs to You!

Pastor Kurt