I’ve been preaching a 3-part miniseries on “Moneyisms” pertaining to Biblical perspectives on money, giving, and this week, stewardship (1/12/14 to 1/26/14). As I conclude the series this week one image has lingered in my mind pertaining to stewardship; that of wearing someone else’s armor – that we cannot steward what we don’t have and certainly cannot attempt to steward what is someone else’s responsibility and not ours for the time being.
The bane of too many young pastors and planters is the starry-eyed covetousness of the rockstar pastor persona, that someday we wish to shoulder their “burden” of fame and wish it upon ourselves. The problem with that is simply that it is not stewardship. Stewardship of our own lot that God has gifted – yes gifted – us with. The more we look at what others have, the more we wind up neglecting and even burying our own talents.
Need we be reminded that we are not called to fame or fad but to faithfulness, that God respects the one who stewards what THEY have, beit five, or two, or one talent. His expectation is not successful return, but responsible stewardship of what was given us – in the recognition that it ALL – fame, money, success, power, authority, influence – none of it belonged to us anyway. It was granted on loan, with expectation of good and faithful returns – in a word, stewardship.
So I can say with David (and a bit of cheekiness, I might add), keep your armor, I haven’t tested it yet; I prefer that which is familiar to me; the earthiness of the 5 smooth stones – that which I know so well – that is what I will steward. Faithfully. Responsibly.
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