Day 321
Ezekiel 35:1-36:38; James 1:1-18; Psalm 116:1-19; Proverbs 27:23-27
Are You a Good Steward?
In Papua New Guinea, where I grew up, you could ask any person if they know who owns something, whether it was a house, bow & arrow, garden, or a canoe, and the response would be, “Yes I can tell you.” “How do you know?” would be my response. “That is easy. So-and-so owns it because they made/built it. So it belongs to them.” I am afraid we have lost this perspective today because we seldom make the things we own. Most of us didn’t make our cars, build our homes, or grow our own food. Instead, we have a sense of entitlement because we worked hard to be able to buy our things. This eats away at our sense of stewardship. With stewardship comes a sense of responsibility & accountability because we are entrusted to manage what does not belong to us. They belong to the one who owns them. This is true in our lives today. God created us and because He did, He owns us and every aspect of our lives. We are all simply His stewards. The Proverbs today reminds us to know exactly where we stand and to pour our hearts into caring (being a steward) for what we have been entrusted with—our things, our family, our money, our time, our thoughts, and our actions. The challenge for today is, are you being a good steward in every aspect of your life? What areas of your life do you find this to be the most challenging?
Brent Tallman
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
Lake Mary, FL