"Great Expectations" - The Promise of a New Year
In high school, I read a few Dickens novels and fell in love with the art of storytelling. Each of his books was a tapestry of stories and subplots woven together with skill and subtlety. In the end, all of the questions building inside my mind would be answered - but in a surprising way that I would have never imagined. And yet, the end always made perfect sense and left me wondering why I couldn't see it turning out the way it did!
2019 was a bit of a "Dickens" for me, and I like that! So many areas of my life had sweet, unique themes, and I never made much of a connection. But I did feel one singular prayer need, and each of my praying sisters who inquired would receive some version of this prayer request from me: "Please pray that I use all of my resources to honor God." A sermon at our church by Adam Tarnow on December 22 delivered the ribbon I needed to wrap it all up. His subject matter was stewardship, and from the direct hits he took on my prayer life, I'm pretty sure Adam has been reading my journals! (Was it the Holy Spirit or should I be creeping out about Big Brother?! Is my iPhone spying on me?!)
Adam defined stewardship as "managing another's property according to the owner's vision and values." He encouraged the church to be diligent (as opposed to negligent) in managing our resources, to view generosity as a blessing, and to view wealth as a "heart condition" over an accumulation of assets.
A recurring theme in my times with the Lord this past year has been the quiet but strong reminder that I am not my own. I've been bought with a price - the precious blood of the Son of God. I'm indebted to Jesus, Who loved me enough to rescue me from the consequence of my own rebellion against God. As 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 concludes, my only right response to this great gift is to "honor God with (my) body" - basically, with everything I am and have been given.
Where and how I spend my time - matters. What I spend my money on - matters. The words I choose and the thoughts behind what motivate my words - matter. EVERYTHING I've been given is a gift from the Lord. How I use those gifts - financial, spiritual, relational - matters because it reveals to the world the truth about how my God loves me - and them - and how I've chosen to respond to that love. I am "managing Another's property according to the Owner's vision and values." And I can't afford to be lazy or mindless or self-indulgent.
I don't know what 2020 holds - but my Father does. And as I walk forward in faith, I trust Him to equip His daughter with every good gift I'll need to serve and honor Him. As Queen Esther's wise Uncle Mordecai reminded her in Esther 4:14b, "And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" Well, let me tell ya - this daughter of the King is READY!
I'm so grateful to be called His child! And as I enter into the New Year, I choose as my theme word "stewardship." I'll prayerfully seek to manage the godly gifts my Father has lavished on me, and by the Holy Spirit's power, I'll strive to bless others as He's blessed me.
Happy New Year, friends! May 2020 open our eyes to see God in new and beautiful ways!
