A Faithful Steward

Two Sundays ago I listened to a wonderful sermon by our pastor on the baggage we carry (both material and emotional) that can burden us and keep us from being able to walk to path God has set before us, unencumbered by these earthly things that weigh us down. It came at a beautiful time - one of those times were God is revealing something to you and you begin to feel like He is holding a megaphone up to your ear and shouting "Do you get it yet?". Unfortunately, most days I have to answer, no, I don't get it yet Lord, please be patient with me. However, after my book that I am journaling through, my study of 1 Peter with my husband, my quiet time in the gospel, my efforts to memorize Hebrews and a pretty deep conversation at a very unexpected time - this sermon was that last piece that dropped me to me knees so that I could honestly say, "Yes Lord, I hear you now.".

Rob Eyman mentioned the open hands of a steward faithfully serving God with He has given us, for His glory, instead of the tightfisted nature we so often bring to "our" stuff. Be it emotional or material, we have those things that we count as "ours" and are off limits to the Lord. Those areas we say, "Nope, not yet. I'm not ready to die to self in this area right now."

The dictionary defines steward in the following way: "a person who manages anothers property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others."

Jesus gives us a very clear picture of stewardship in his parable recorded in both Matt 25:14-30 and Luke 19:11-27. Both accounts have a man entrusting his servants with money while he is away on a trip and returning to see the results of their labors. Both accounts has the man (or king, in the Luke account) greet his servants that faithfully oversaw their responsibility with these words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities."

Paul speaks to this issue in Philippians 3:7-8 "But whatever things were gain those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ"

Let's compare this picture to the beautiful, scary portrayal of our view on things outside of God's will. Picture the book (or movie) Return of the King, where Lord Denathor is sitting at the base of the throne in the stewards chair. He is steward, as his father's before him, managing the kingdom of Gondor until the line of the king is restored and the king returns to his throne. This has not happened for several generations and Denathor is not about to give up the steward spot. In light of all I had been reading and thinking about, this scene struck me in a new way. Lord Denathor was perfectly content with being a steward and sitting on his lower throne, as long as there was no king threatening to displace him. While appearing to be content in his role as steward, he had actually pushed back the idea of the king, making his stewards chair a throne. The parables from the gospel and Paul's words all look at the heart of one who not only is aware of the responsibility of being a steward but also the right relationship with those things we are put in charge of.

Lord Denathor was not the wicked servant of the Scriptures, digging a hole in the ground and hiding the money. He diligently ran the kingdom - isn't that what he was appointed to do? Yes and no. While being a steward, from our definition above, is management of some affair, administering it as the agent of another. This means that the whole time we are responsible for this calling, we are also responsible for running it as the agent of another, not based on our own will, but following the will of the one who actually owns it. Ephesians 2:10 say, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. "

And we are also called to give it back - to be ready to open our hands and show what we have done, giving it back to it's rightful owner. The author of Hebrews says in chapter 12: 28-29 "Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire." And in Revelation we get a glimpse of heaven, where the 24 elders remove their crowns and cast them before the throne of God saying, "Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed and were created." (Rev 4:11)

To be a faithful steward is more than working with the gifts God has given me. It is to use these gifts for His will - not my own. And to hold them continually in an open hand, offering them back continually to God as a offering of praise to the only One who is worthy. Lately I have been working very hard in what I consider to be kingdom work - but God wants more than the sweat of my brow - He wants my heart fully submissive to His will and humbly offering back that which He has entrusted to me. It is His, gifted to me, to work His purposes, through the strength of Christ, for His glory. In light of who Christ is, how can I not, like Paul, count everything else as loss?

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.