Temporary

"Temporary Stewards" is a phrase that has been impressed on my mind the last couple of months. There are very deep and important teachings from the scriptures concerning being a steward of all God has blessed us with. While we know we are not "owners" of His gifts to us, we might consider ourselves "permanent" holders. With this idea we tend to use God's blessings more for our benefit than His purpose. Consider your use of time and money for example.

Our view of time leans towards our interests and what we desire to accomplish for ourselves. We use time to our advantage. We script our time to bring us the most personal satisfaction. When asked to give some of our time for serving the needs in the church, we can be very selective and even protective. "My" time or "time for myself" climbs the priority ladder. It is almost as if when we are asked to spend time serving that it is an infringement upon "our time."

Consider the use of money. So many Christians do not honor the Lord in their giving. Using "my money" for "my interests" reflects our spending patterns. The very God who has blessed us with all we have has required that we give ten percent, or a tithe, to the church. So many Christians struggle with this command. Others try to control their money and the church by designating their tithe. In truth, when a tithe is designated it ceases to be a tithe and is really a gift. A gift for a specific purpose or interest. The tithe is to be brought into the storehouse for the ministry needs of the church. Designated giving should be above the tithe. The first ten percent is to be given to the church with no strings or manipulation. God reminds us that those who do not tithe are thieves. They are stealing from God and the church.

A third important area that we are temporary stewards of is the church. We serve the Lord through the church for a limited time in eternity. We are given just a short time in the life of the church to serve her needs and ministries. The church outlasts our lives. We will hand the church off to the next generation of stewards. We do not own the church but the church owns us! We are temporary caretakers of the Bride of Christ. We are to usher her into the future with grace and honor. But too often we see the church as serving us. The church becomes an opportunity for us to display our wants and desires.

In all things we are temporary stewards. It was all here before we arrived and it will remain after we are gone. We temporarily let the church and God's blessings flow through our hands and hearts. We are blessed to be able to touch and see what God is doing throughout all eternity.

Are you a good temporary steward?

From the Heart,
Pastor BR