Stewardship Moment

The theme of this year's stewardship emphasis is "Moving Forward by Faith." Today and during the next three weeks, we will examine the matter of faith as it relates to our living and to our giving. We will consider what faith requires and how we develop faith, especially as it relates to how we use the resources God has entrusted to us.

Hebrews 11:6 says that without faith, it is impossible to please God. It stands to reason, therefore, that if we are to please God, we must have faith. But what is faith? The first verse of that same chapter gives us an answer: Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. In other words, faith is having a confidence that what we hope for will come to pass and that what we do not see actually exists. Faith is simply taking God at His Word. It is believing that God exists and that God will keep His promises. It is realizing that God will do what He has committed to do.

But that kind of confidence cannot be manufactured by human effort. Faith starts and ends with Jesus Christ. In fact, the Apostle Paul describes Christ as giving "saving faith" as part of all that we need in the Christian life. He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending. He is the beginning and ending of faith. Christ is both the source of our faith and the one in whom we place our faith.

As the hymn writer expressed it, "My faith has found a resting place, not in device or creed; it is enough that Jesus died, and that He died for me." All that pertains to our faith ultimately finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. But what does that have to do with giving our time and talents to the Lord? Or with money, material possessions and giving? And what could that possibly have to do with an annual stewardship emphasis?

Make no mistake about it: God owns everything. We are just managers and stewards of what God has entrusted to us. Our attitude should be what one author described as "vagrant faith," that is, a spirit of having everything in Christ but of owning nothing. Owners, you see, have rights; managers and stewards have responsibilities. As managers and stewards, we are responsible to manage what God has entrusted to us.

That same author went on to say this:

. . . the American perspective is to acquire wealth, or at least comfort, which is one reason America is in such sad shape today. We do not regard ourselves as vagrants, but as property owners. Being a vagrant contradicts the notion of acquiring things for personal comfort or ownership of those things intrinsic to the successful American lifestyle. Paul emphasized that having little or much money isn't what makes one rich or poor. Rather, it's the degree to which we conform to Jesus and understand that God will honor those who recognize that all they own is God's to use for His purposes.

Stewardship committee

Susanna Giesey, Keith Fry