Originally Posted by Mike Young October 2005

In our Bible Fellowship class this past Sunday, we started a four week study of Biblical stewardship. All our adult classes are focusing on the same topic. Our pastor is also sharing a series of sermons called Building a Great Life which complements the study. This is a great way for the entire body of a church to focus on an important topic. Unfortunately, many people feel uncomfortable when stewardship is the focus of a Bible study lesson or sermon. I think that’s because it doesn’t take much to convict us of shortcomings in this area.

Let’s face it, the world is attractive and the things of this world often distract us from the spiritual things on which we should be focused.

One of the resources being used in our study is a little book by Randy Alcorn titled The Treasure Principle. If you have never read or heard of this book, you should get a copy. It can be read very quickly but it is filled with little golden nuggets of truth that you can readily apply to your life.

We all need to be reminded from time to time that the things we call our own are really God’s. He is the creator and maker of all things.

Our responsibility is to manage the things which He has entrusted to us in a way that brings glory to Him. Typically we manipulate what He has entrusted to us in order to bring glory to ourselves and amass more stuff.

During our lesson this week our leader shared a verse that I know I had heard but didn’t remember. It was Proverbs 23:5, Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.  This verse caught my attention because I did not remember a passage which related our experience with money to the flight of an eagle.

We know how eagles fly, they soar, and that’s what riches will do. Riches will get away from us. We can see them and appreciate their beauty but they are difficult to hold on to and tame.

Another thought comes to mind as I ponder these things. Stewardship is not just about money. We have a responsibility to ‘manage’ many things in our lives. Time, talents and treasure are three ‘T’ words that are often used when we talk about things we must manage. I want to make sure you understand that your marriage, your children and your life are part of what you should treasure and manage well.

How do you exercise good stewardship of these treasures? Here are some ideas…

• Honor God with your marriage by being fully committed to the wife He gave you. She is your life-long partner in the relationship. Love her unconditionally and remind her of her significance in your life. Serve her as Christ served the Church.
• Honor God through and with your children by helping them understand that they are each unique and special, created in God’s own image. Teach and train them in order to prepare them for whatever God may call them to as adults. Model good stewardship and teach them how to be good stewards.
• Finally, honor God with the management of your own life. On an occasional basis, we all need to step back and evaluate where we’ve been, where we are, where we are going and most importantly, where is God? If we aren’t near him, we may need to correct our navigation in His direction.

A man who has family to love and be loved by has immeasurable riches. But don’t forget that even the richness that comes from strong family ties can be lost as easily as worldly wealth if we fail in our stewardship responsibilities.