Faithful Stewards

Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.  2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.

1 Corinthians 4:1-2, NKJV

While looking through one of my personal journals, I came across some interesting notes regarding stewardship; and if you will indulge me, I would like to share my thoughts on the subject with you. Before we get started, let me define the word 'steward':

 stew-ard (noun)

1. A person who manages another's property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others.
2. A person who has charge of the household of another, buying or obtaining food, directing the servants, etc.

As a Christian, I sometimes have a hard time understanding the concept of being a steward; and because of my confusion, I mislabel that which has been entrusted to me. So what should be done in order to alleviate my misunderstanding?  I have to change the way I think.

You see, the first principle of stewardship is this: we do not make ourselves stewards; it is a position that is placed upon us by another--in our case God.  As our "Employer", He endows us with gifts and talents, and expects us to use that which He has given us in such a way that He is glorified.  His expectation is that we turn a significant profit for the kingdom and make Him look good.  As we busy our hands doing that which is required of us, God reviews our work and labels us as either as a faithful or an unfaithful steward. The faithful steward receives additional responsibilities and is able to remain in the presence of the Master; while the one who has proven himself to be unfaithful receives a reprimand (see the Parable of the Talents as found in Matthew 25:14-30).

My actions both in private and public settings is a testament to others of how much I truly love Christ,  As my everyday ordinary life is reviewed, others should  be able to determine whether or not I am a trust-worthy diligent individual.  When I open my mouth, the words of my testimony should proclaim that I am full of the wisdom and knowledge of God, that faithful instruction is on my tongue, and forgiveness in my heart. My work ethics and deeds should be governed by the wise decisions that I make as I strive demonstrate my diligence to complete a given task without short-changing my Employer.

My success as a steward is found in my relationship with Christ, for if I seek to be one who can be entrusted with the secret things and/or the mysteries of God, then my gaze should always be on doing that which I have been called to do.  I will prove myself faithful if I work hard with my own hands and see that the assignment that I have been given is completed in such a way that the outcome glorifies God.  My heart's focus should always be centered around serving both God and man; for as I do, not only will my heart be changed, but those within my circle of influence will be encouraged to keep moving forward in their faith.

As Unto the LORD

Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.  Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their  favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. ²³ Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, ²⁴ since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Colossians 3:21-24, NIV '84

Ever wondered how others perceive you or how your character is viewed by another?  Do the words that you profess to believe on Sunday (or whatever day you worship) line up with the actions that others see portrayed your life during the week or while you're on your job?  These are hard hitting questions that deserve an answer from each individual who names the name of Christ; for whether you know it or not, because of your profession of faith, others tend to watch your life closely and/or scrutinize everything that you say and do. And because of this, as believers, we need to do everything in our power to ensure that every fiber of our being glorifies the LORD!

As an act of my will, I have purposed in my heart that I am going to do whatever it takes to turn a profit for the kingdom of God; meaning I am going to do whatever I need to do in order to allow my testimony to shine for the glory of God so that others will come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  That is the ultimate goal that I have set for my life and what I strive to achieve each day.

It is my belief, that the enemy of our soul consistently attacks two major areas in the life of every believer ~  our immediate family, and our place(s) of employment; and I've come to this conclusion based on this:

(1) The members of our family often receive the butt end of the stress of our lives via our attitude...which can be very sour if the circumstances of our day have not gone the way that we want it to.

(2) Many employers often do not receive a good return on their investment of casual labor (their employees) often times due to individual grievances, unjust demands/requests placed upon a sect of employees, or day to day economic stress.

According to the Word of God, we are supposed to live our lives in such a way that others see our good deeds and glorify our Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16). God is not glorified when you're fighting with the members of your family over minute issues that they have no control over.  God is not glorified when you dishonor your employer by working only when their eye is upon you or when you're expecting a sizeable pay increase.  God is glorified when we perform the duties that we have been assigned with every fiber of our being to the best of our ability.

So let me encourage you to take time to search your heart...review the testimony of your life and see if the profession of your faith backs up the actions that you showcase to those closest to you...

Get Your Mind Right!

     You might not believe it, but the Word of God is filled with encouraging words and principles in which we as humans can hold on to during times of dramatic stress and chaos.  Repeatedly, in one way or another, we are admonished to get our mind right and focus our attention on that which really matters.  Let me share with you a couple of scriptural examples:

He will keep you in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him.

Isaiah 26:3

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; neither be thou dismayed for the Lord thy God is with thee...wherever thou goest.

Joshua 1:8-9

And my God shall supply all thy needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.

Philippians 4:8-9

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

John 16:32-33

     Now I know what you're probably thinking: "those are great scripture references; but that is not going to help me in my situation" or "how are words written on a page going to help in my situation?" or "I need more than just an encouraging word...I need [you fill in the blank].

     You know this time last year, I asked God those same questions, and maybe even more.  At that time, my life was in shambles and I was not generating enough income to sustain my livelihood.  For the first time in my adulthood, my bank account was severely suffering; in fact I was financially hemorrhaging   I had recently forfeited my home filled with priceless treasures and irreplaceable trinkets and was on the verge of loosing my source of transportation and all forms of income...I was devastated!  So what did I do?  I turned to God for help.
    Here's the story:  one summer day, I realized that I was in trouble and that the winds of confusion were clouding my mind, eyes, and heart so that I could not see or gaze my focus.  I was in a severe sandstorm; one in which I could not control. Knowing that I had a limited amount of cash reserves on hand (not to mention, I need the limited amount of gas to remain in the tank so that I could travel to my place of employment to generate income to provide for the huge deficit I was creating); I grabbed my Bible, purse, and car keys and drove down to a place where I knew I could meet with God...my Church.
    Since it was a weekday, the facility was empty and I had the whole place to myself.  Before entering the building, I pulled out a CD that contained a worship song one of my friends had recently recorded and I headed for the sanctuary.
    For the first 30 minutes or so, I walked the perimeter of the sanctuary, crying and screaming out for God to save me from my current situation.  And to my surprise, the voice of God was silent...I heard no comforting words, saw no angels, and received no miracle.  Frustrated with the lack of spiritual communication I had received, I continued to walk the around the room; when suddenly it occurred to me that I had yet to tell the Lord my issue.  I had just come in the building crying and screaming...no way to approach the King of the universe.

     As quickly as the previous thought had run through my mind, another one did the same.  I removed the CD from my purse and uploaded it into the player, selected my friends worship song and cranked the volume.  Then I placed my checkbook, debit/credit cards, and wallet on the altar, lifted my hands up to the LORD, and once again began to walk the perimeter of the room.  For the next hour or so, I worshiped and cried to the following chorus:

I'll just worship You

I'll just worship You

I'll just worship You

That's what these tears were made for

I'll just worship You

I'll just worship You

I'll just lift my hands

And worship...

     It wasn't long before I clearly heard the Voice of the Spirit speak directly in my most inner being (NOTE:  you know its God when what you hear can be backed up with scripture; for me, my confirmation came in the form of the scripture verses above).  Time stood still for the next few moments as I frantically took note of all that I heard in the midst of voicing my deepest concerns to the One who has the power to change my circumstances.  That afternoon, I returned to my place of residency knowing that I was loved for who I am and that nothing in this world could ever snatch me from the merciful hand of the living God. However, that hard lesson did not come without me doing that which I knew to do...getting my mind right  by altering my focus from that which is temporal to that which is eternal!

__________

I'll Just Worship You, from the ALIVE CD words and music written by Tony Sutherland (https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/alive/id388016832?ign-mpt=uo%3D4)

For additional information regarding Tony Sutherland Ministries, logon to http://www.tonysutherland.com