An introduction of Stewardship to the congregation

January 2012

Sometimes when we read something, a sentence will leap off the page and we are compelled to stop to ponder what we have just read. A short sentence in the January issue of Stewardship stopped me cold! It read: Stewardship is liberating. I want to repeat that for you: Stewardship is liberating. I asked myself: Is it true? After mulling it over for a few minutes, I concluded that true stewardship is indeed liberating.

First, stewardship compels us to love God with our hearts, minds, and strength. Once we have chosen to love and serve God in that manner, we don’t have to struggle any longer with how we will handle our decisions. We are either workers for God or we are not. Our choices will either honor God or they won’t. When we give our lives unconditionally to the love and service of God, we will find liberation and blessings galore. Secondly, true stewardship will free us from wasting our time, talent, and energy on things that are foolish, or harmful to our bodies, minds, and spiritual life. Christ warned us against shallow, wasteful living. He said “Enter through the narrow gate, for the gate is wide that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

Real stewardship is sometimes difficult and often challenging, but if we practice it, you can be certain that it is liberating and always a genuine blessing. That is Christ’s promise!

Prayer: Help us always remember Lord, that we find only true freedom in loving and serving you as dedicated stewards. In Christ’s name, Amen.