Thursday, January 19, 2023
We are in the second week of the series, For the Win. When I considered what a day-to-day win looks like for me, it took me a moment. After much contemplation, I came up with my answer—making people laugh. I feel such joy when I can make someone laugh. Occasionally, after I’ve said something extremely funny and we’re all laughing, I like to add … “It’s a gift, I don’t own it.”
Matthew 25:29
To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing even what little they have will be taken away.
“It’s a gift, I don’t own it” is what Ben’s message was all about. The bottom line was: winning within starts with stewardship. Stewardship sees all our gifts as blessings from God. It is a grateful attitude and a deep desire to use God’s gifts in ways that honor him. It means putting our trust in God, obeying him, living open-handedly, and sharing our gifts with others.
The opposite viewpoint is ownership, in which the “owner” believes “It’s mine, and I can do whatever I want with it.” It is having a stingy and closed-fisted attitude, not wanting to share our gifts with others.
If we want to live in God’s peace, love, and joy, we must live a life of stewardship. We must trust God first to provide for us. We must put all of our blessings, fears, and worries in his hands. We must not withhold anything from him.
The way we use our time, talents, and treasures indicates whether we are living a life of stewardship. Let’s look at ways to be good stewards:
TIME: Focusing on what God wants us to do with our time. Trusting and obeying him and using our time to bless others.
TALENT: Using our gifts and experiences to fulfill God’s purpose. Realizing that God has given us unique personalities and spiritual gifts to help others and choosing to use our gifts to make a difference in other people's lives.
TREASURE: Surrendering what is most important to us to God and trusting him with it. Proper stewardship is based on a belief that God will provide for us, that he blesses us so that we can bless others. It’s the principle of firstfruits or tithing—giving God ten percent of our treasure.
Living the life of a steward is so different from the culture we live in. Our culture is focused on keeping up with the Joneses or making it to the top. Many people forget what is really important; instead, they live a life focused on themselves. This leaves a big hole in their hearts and results in never being satisfied. They want more and more.
But when we choose to follow Jesus, we change. We find joy, contentment, and peace by living a life of stewardship. We are so grateful for what he has done for us that we want to share his love with others. We start to trust him and want to surrender everything to him.
We are so grateful for God’s blessings that we use them to help others and honor God.
Proverbs 3:9-10
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. 10 Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.
Questions:
How are you using your time, talents and treasure? What are you trying to control? What do you need to surrender to Jesus?
Next Steps:
Use your time, talent and treasure to help someone. Attend GrowthTrack. Join a Group.
21 Days of Prayer
Day 11 Prayer Focus - To Live in Freedom (Galatians 5:1)
Thank you, God, for freeing me! You have freed me from sin and from shame. You have freed me from the law and from striving to earn salvation. You have freed me from death itself! For all those things and more, I praise you. Help me to live as someone who is free. Don’t let me fall back into the posture of a slave, to fall back into serving the things that used to control me. May you be the only one I serve, for you bought my freedom and loyalty at a high price on the cross. In gratitude I ask, may your will be done in my life. Amen.
Parent Prayer
This post was written by Marsha Raymond. Marsha has been happily married to her husband, Jeff, for 30 years. They have two grown sassy and fearless daughters. She loves spending time with God, her family and friends, reading, riding bicycles, yoga and walking.