Stewardship

 Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama! Let’s choose to create a masterpiece with this glorious new opportunity that is before each one of us! 😊

This week’s Happy Friday is going to be short and sweet! I want to offer a couple of things for us to ponder as we head into this first weekend of the new year.

Stewardship has been defined as “the responsible overseeing and protection of something considered worth caring for and preserving.” Now, in full transparency, I cannot find the dictionary where this is actually the definition. Merriam-Webster.com and thefreedictionary.com give me definitions different than this however several companies and religious organizations list this as the definition of stewardship and, well, it fits with what I am thinking so I am going to run with it! 😊

And, when I am talking about stewardship this morning, I am not talking about money…that is not what is on my heart. There are two things that are on my heart this morning:

First, are we being good stewards of the talents, gifts, and abilities we have been given? Are we striving to become all that we were created to become, to fulfill the potential of whatever we have been given? Are we using our talents, gifts, and abilities to serve and care for others or are we simply using them to serve ourselves?

Second, are we being good stewards of the people that are in our lives? Do we give all of ourselves selflessly or do we simply wish to have our wants and needs served by others? Do we unconditionally love those we have in our lives, or do we simply love them when it is convenient or for what they do for us?

I don’t have answers for you…I can’t answer for you! Each one of us will make our own decisions and we will live with the consequences of those decisions. Please, let’s all thoughtfully consider how we are stewarding our talents, gifts, and abilities and our relationships.

I want to share a scripture, an excerpt, and a few quotes as we thoughtfully consider our stewardship…

1 Peter 4:10-11 (The Message)

7-11 Everything in the world is about to be wrapped up, so take nothing for granted. Stay wide-awake in prayer. Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless—cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God’s words; if help, let it be God’s hearty help. That way, God’s bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he’ll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything—encores to the end of time. Oh, yes!

Here is an excerpt from an article titled, What is the meaning of agape love? You can find the full article at https://www.compellingtruth.org/agape-love.html.

“Agape love is a little different. It is not a feeling; it's a motivation for action that we are free to choose or reject. Agape is a sacrificial love that voluntarily suffers inconvenience, discomfort, and even death for the benefit of another without expecting anything in return. We are called to agape love through Christ's example: "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (Ephesians 5:1-2).”

“The world asks, “What does a man own?” Christ asks, “How does he use it?”” – Andrew Murray

“At the end of your life on earth you will be evaluated and rewarded according to how well you handled what God entrusted to you.” – Rick Warren

“Where I was born and where and how I lived is unimportant. It is what I have done with where I have been that should be of interest.” – Dwight L. Moody

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious families, and please stay well! 😊

Kev