This week is about stewardship. Taking care of the things that have been given to you. —Taking care through your time, talents and resources.
The first sign of being a good steward is realizing that everything we have has been given to us, everything, by an almighty, loving God. This is his land, his planet. He has given us life. We need to take care of it all.
In the Bible, in the book of Malachi, the last book before the Gospels begin, God tells us exactly how we are to be stewards in a little story about tithes and the storehouse. In Malachi 3:8 (I love this verse.) it starts, “Dare a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me! And you say, “How do we rob you?” In tithes and offerings!”
That sentence alone should make you shiver. Dare a man to rob God? Is there no fear of the Lord?
We are to give back to the church one tenth (Tithe means tenth in Hebrew) of all that God has given to us. Yes, 10 percent right off the top. We get to keep 90 percent. It’s all God’s, if you want to be real. He doesn’t need our 10 percent but he wants to see how good of a steward we are. He wants our trust. We are to give back to God the choicest, the best of what he has given us. A little farther down, in that same chapter, 3:10 tells us to “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, {which is the church treasury}, that there may be food in my house, and try me in this, says the Lord of hosts: Shall I not open for you the floodgates of heaven, to pour down a blessing upon you without measure?” Can you imagine the blessing that God would give if we all put our trust in Him?
Do you volunteer your time at your church? Do you give of the talents you have? Do you give of your money? Do you attend a church, a body of believers? If not, I’m here to tell you, you are missing out on one of the greatest blessings of your life!
God gives us our lives. Are we living them to the best of our ability? Are we grateful every day when we wake up, that we woke up? Some people don’t get to. Are we taking care of the things that God has given us? Are we giving a tenth of that back to Him in honor and trust? Can we learn to be content in our present circumstances without always wanting more? God gives us what we need, when we need it. We need to stop striving for the newest gadget, the latest trend. —Learn to be content.
Share your resources with others. I think about how many people are homeless. Then I think about how many of us live in homes with more than enough room to shelter another, with more than enough food on our tables. What if we all took someone under our wing and helped them to live a better life? Taught them to live a life for God. I believe as stewards, each one of us is responsible for the earth and the people who dwell on it, not the government. We have to learn to share what we have.
I’m just sharing what I am passionate about—what I know to be true. You may not agree and that’s ok. You may be struggling just to put food on the table and pay your bills. But try it. Start giving your tenth and see if it doesn’t work. Then trust that God will bless you. Somebody needed to hear this message. I felt compelled to share it. Writing is one of my talents. I am called to be a good steward. I am blessed beyond measure.
God bless.—Barb
If this has worked for you in your life, please leave a comment below and let’s be an encouragement to others. Thanks.
