Everything that we have is a gift from God - our salvation, our intelligence, our families, our income,
our friends, even the breath in our lungs - all gifts from God! Even if we have worked for certain things
in our lives, the ability to do the work has come from God.
There is a word that has pretty much disappeared from common usage, regarding the way God wants us to
think about the gifts he has given us. This neglected English word is the word "stewardship." These days
about the only time you encounter the word "steward" is with respect to the wine steward in a restaurant,
or a ship's steward on a cruise line. Sometimes churches will have "stewardship campaigns" that are
largely confined to the issue of tithing. Stewardship simply means management. A steward is a person who
understands that they are not owners, but are rather called to manage their gifts and opportunities on
behalf of another.
One of the marks of spiritual maturity that I look for in people's lives is that they move from a
perspective in which "everything belongs to me" to a perspective in which "everything in my life belongs to
Christ; I am simply called upon to manage what Christ has given me on his behalf."
Another way to think about stewardship is the shocking awareness that much of what we think we own has
someone else's name and address on it. Has it ever occurred to you that the title deed for some of your
clothes, your car, your sofa, your stocks or bank accounts, (or heaven forbid, my books!) may have someone
else's name and address on them? Stewards understand that we are not meant to be the terminal point of
God's gifts. Rather, as stewards we are meant to be channels through which God gives his gifts to others.
What are we called upon to steward?
We are stewards of the gospel. The apostle Paul said, "Let people regard us in this manner, as
servants of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. It is required of stewards that one be found
trustworthy." God has given to each of us as Christians the saving message of Jesus Christ and his sacrificial
death for our sins. This message is not meant for our own private enjoyment, but for our sharing with others.
In a recent sermon I quoted from Mark 5.19 in which Jesus said to a man who had been formerly demonized, "Go
home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." Friend,
do you see yourself as a steward of the message of the gospel on behalf of your own family, friends, co-workers,
and classmates? As stewards, do you take seriously your responsibility to share the gospel with your own circle
of influence? Have you told those in your circle how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on
you? Why not recommit yourself to the stewardship of the gospel in 2007.
We are called to be stewards of our money. All of the money that we have in our wallets, our bank
accounts, our retirement accounts, invested in stocks and bonds, and lost under car seats, or buried under sofa
cushions is on loan to us from God. The Bible teaches that part of our growth as disciples is learning how to
manage God's money on God's behalf. One of the Lord's tests of our spiritual maturity concerns how we manage his
money. Luke 16.11 says this, "So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you
with true riches?" In other words, until you learn how to manage God's money and how not to be simply a
consumer, but a channel of his money, you are not yet ready for spiritual leadership in his church.
I recently started a Kingdom Builders Group in this church. This group is designed for people "to whom God
has entrusted much" by way of financial resources. (If you are interested in being a part of this group, simply
email me.) Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could have hundreds of people at Vineyard Columbus asking themselves
different questions than the questions the world asks regarding money? The world asks: What could I buy if I
had a certain amount of money? Kingdom Builders (stewards) ask, "What could God do if a certain amount of money
was made available to the kingdom?"
There is a wonderful personal reason to grow in your stewardship of money in 2007. Jesus teaches very plainly
that your heart will follow your money. In Matthew 6.21 Jesus said, "For where your treasure is, there will your
heart be also." All of us have seen this principle at work in our lives. Sports fans are more passionate for
their team wins, if they've placed a wager on the game. You will be more deeply concerned about the ups and
downs of the stock market, if you own stock. You will care more about how a missionary family is doing, if you
financially give to that mission. If you want more of your heart devoted to God in 2007, give more of your money
to God in 2007.
We are stewards of our bodies. The apostle Paul reminds the Corinthians in the context of a
series of exhortations on sexual sin that "You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor
God with your body." In other words, none of us own our bodies. Rather, we are stewards (managers) of bodies
that Christ purchased when he died for us (including our bodies) on the cross. Therefore, we have no right to
eat anything we want and so damage the bodies that Christ owns. Neither do we have the right to join our
bodies sexually in ways that Christ disapproves of. A good reason to engage in an exercise program in the year
2007 and to pursue healthier eating and sleeping habits is that we do these things as stewards on behalf of
Christ.
What else do we steward - our time, our spiritual gifts, our children, our jobs, everything! If you are
really looking for life-changing transformation in 2007, undergo this conversion of mindset - from ownership to
stewardship, from "all is mine," to "all is Christ's!"
