May you enjoy a blessed Earth Day today! Earth Day started in 1970 to bring an awareness of the need to be good stewards of the planet. The Lord has entrusted each of us with a portion of this earth to steward. Take a little time today to think about how you could better oversee what He has given you.
When Christians speak of stewardship the conversation most often centers on money. Certainly the Lord entrusts us with a financial portion of His determination and we are called to make sure that we handle our share with wisdom. Jesus tells us in Matthew 22:21, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are Gods.” He was answering the Pharisees question about whether they needed to pay tax to Caesar or not. For us the mandate is the same in essence. We pay our taxes to our government but we are also to give to His Kingdom on earth. Remember, all that we have is from Him. He has placed us in stewardship over it. We will be accountable for how we manage our money and most importantly how we give.
Another area of stewardship we do not talk about much is how we maintain our bodies. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Read that over a few times and really think about it. “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19) Again, the Lord has entrusted you with a body over which you maintain stewardship. Seek the Lord and determine if it is time to take back the temple portion of your physical responsibility. Spring is the perfect time to fast and detoxify the body and to establish a healthier plan to go forward.
Stewardship also applies to how we spend our time throughout each day. Do we allow for consecrated pray time? Do we allow for time to read the Bible and learn what God is saying to us, His people? The latest Barna Group study, The Annual State of the Bible 2012 Survey, showed that eighty five percent of households in the United States own Bibles yet only thirty three percent read the Bible once a week or more. Thirty six percent read the Bible only once a year or not at all. Clearly, it is one thing to call oneself a Christian and keep a Bible or two on the shelf and quite another to be a Christian and meditate on God’s Word. Review your prayer and Bible study habits. It is not too late to redirect and take back control of your stewardship!
2 Corinthians 10:5 entrusts us with stewardship over our mind that we would be diligent in: “…casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.…” What does this really mean for us? It means to be aware of what we allow ourselves to entertain in our thoughts and if they are not Christ-like, shut them down. A good method is simply asking yourself if you would be comfortable sharing what goes on in your mind with Jesus. If not then move on to something more wholesome!
Another key area we have responsibility to steward is our heart (and we know it is always a heart issue!). Unholy issues such as unforgiveness, bitterness and resentment keep our heart hardened. Jesus tells us clearly, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8) As with the mind, heart issues must be closely checked to keep them clean. It is spring. Detox unholy heart issues once and for all. Start fresh. Begin anew. It is not too late!
These are some of the key areas that we are responsible to steward. We can only be fruitful stewards through the help of the Holy Spirit. On our own we cannot do it. If you struggle with any of these areas seek Him and He will help you! Press in and do not give up for He is faithful.
Join us this week as we ‘pray the states’ toward the 2012 Presidential election. Please cover Kentucky admitted to the Union June 1, 1792, in prayer. We are praying for each state in the order of admission to the Union. Pray for wisdom and discernment for the political leaders, pastors and church leaders, the people residing in Kentucky and for all in our Nation. Each state is important in forming our United States of America. We commit to pray for a different state each week so we not only provide prayer cover but also to make us aware that our country is bigger than the space we personally occupy in it. These are our United States. Let us pray that we will arise united ‘for such a time as this!’ Please repost and share.
Thank you for your continued faithfulness to pray. Keep our servicemen and women and their families in prayer for salvation and safety. They are our frontline on the battlefield, let us be their frontline in the spirit. May God richly bless you this week and help you be a good and faithful steward every day in Jesus’ name. Amen and amen!
