Christian Stewardship

Stewardship is a term often tossed around Christian circles. Odds are you've probably heard of it in association with finances and giving back a portion of our wealth to the church. But if this is the extent of our definition, we're missing out on some key components.

In the beginning, God gives us the creational mandate through Adam saying,
"Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth” - Genesis 1:28

“The LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it” -Genesis 2:15

God has placed us, mankind, in a position of authority on earth. Our role is like that of a manager, to whom God has entrusted the care of His creation. It's important to remember that even though God has given us "all things to richly enjoy", nothing really belongs to us. God owns everything. This is our Father's World; we're merely responsible for how we treat it and what we do with it.

"The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it"- Psalm 24

We should be concerned not only about financial stewardship but also our health and caring for the world around us.

True stewardship fully acknowledges we are not our own but belong in body and soul to Christ. We not only bear the image of God, but are temples of the Holy Spirit. We need to treat our bodies as such. As a nurse, it can be completely overwhelming to try and address all of the modifiable health problems our society faces today, so here's the two I am most passionate about:

1. Healthy Diet
Food is the energy that fuels our body. We have managed to distort this so that it is all about ease and bringing ourselves pleasure. We over indulge in sweet, fried, and processed goods. I truly believe that a healthy, balanced diet can bring glory to God. I try to ask myself this main question in regards to my food choices:

 Is what I'm about to eat in it's natural form as created by God?
The key is avoiding chemical-laden, processed food by sticking to fresh fruits and vegetables, natural meats, whole grains, raw nuts, etc. I won't bore you by going into the nitty-gritty details of nutrition, but I believe there is great blessing to be found in abiding by the principles of eating products unaltered by human invention and as God intended.

2. Active Lifestyle
Americans as a whole live a sedentary lifestyle. Unfit employees cost companies an average of $100 billion per year in preventable health care costs. We drive to school or a job where we spend the majority of our day sitting behind a desk, only to return home and spend the rest of our evening sitting on the couch. Get up and move! Go for a run outside. If you're in Arizona, go and take a hike for me- I miss mountains. Marvel at the wonder of God's world around you and the beauty of the human body as it works in perfect unison to keep you breathing and your heart beating. An active lifestyle is crucial to maintaining your health. Did you know exercising only once per week (or not at all) makes you seven times more likely to die suddenly than those who exercise on a regular basis? Or that inactive individuals tend to have higher blood pressure, be more obese, and are more prone to diabetes, disease, and the effects of osteoporosis?

I mean, have you ever wondered why Jesus, as the Son of God, came to this earth as a carpenter instead of a Pharisee, merchant, or scribe? This kind of labor in an age without power tools certainly required a significant amount of expenditure. Jesus was most likely a strong, well-built man. He also walked everywhere. Just the three customary trips to Jerusalem alone would have been over 450 miles of traveling on foot each year. Jesus lived a physically active lifestyle and set an example for us to follow. As the Son of God, with an intimate knowledge of creation, Jesus understood the very concept that has taken science years and thousands of experiments to confirm: the human body is designed to operate by physical laws and needs exercise to function properly.

It is not sinful to appreciate the beauty of the human form and strive to better ourselves, as long as we do so in moderation and with the proper motivation: to glorify God and follow in Christ's steps. (1 Peter 2:21)

But Christian stewardship doesn't end there. Our call to care for God's creation extends beyond our personal bodies to the world all around us- this includes the environment.

Those at the forefront of environmentalism often have pantheistic or naturalistic worldviews causing Christians to shy away from pressing issues. We have become silent and apathetic, resulting in unconcern. We need to step up, get involved, and lead from a Biblical perspective.

 Did you know?

•  Each year, Americans throw away 25 trillion Styrofoam cups.
• On average, a single supermarket goes through 60,500,000 paper bags per year
• The U.S. is the #1 trash-producing country in the world at 1,609 pounds per person per year. This means that 5% of the world's people generate 40% of the world's waste. We toss out two billion plastic razors, a million and a half tons of paper towels, and 12 billion disposable diapers annually.
• Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours.

These alarming statistics reminded me a lot of the admonition found in Ezekiel 34:18-

"Is it not enough for you to feed on the green pastures?
Must you also trample them with your feet?
"Is it not enough for you to drink the pure water?
Must you also muddy it with your feet?"

 

 

God has given us the earth to enjoy, not destroy.

 

You can make small changes in your lifestyle that will go a long way in conserving the earth. The next time you leave a room, remember to turn off the light. While growing up, my parents used to fine my siblings and I a dollar for every light we left on. Although it seemed harsh at the time, I am so grateful that they instilled this practice in me at a young age. Get in the habit of turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth. Buy reusable grocery bags. Carpool. Ride your bike to work. Bring your own coffee mug to church. These are just a few easy ways you can consciously make a difference.

"We are all stewards of the resources, abilities and opportunities that God has entrusted to our care, and one day each one of us will be called to give an account for how we have managed what the Master has given us. This is taught in the Parable of the Talents. God has entrusted authority over the creation to us and we are not allowed to rule over it as we see fit. We are called to exercise our dominion under the watchful eye of the Creator managing his creation in accord with the principles he has established. Like the servants in the Parable of the Talents, we will be called to give an account of how we have administered everything we have been given, including our time, money, abilities, information, wisdom, relationships, and authority."

"Every faculty you have, your power of thinking or of moving your limbs from moment to moment, is given you by God. If you devoted every moment of your whole life exclusively to His service, you could not give Him anything that was not in a sense His own already."

- C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Gaze vs. Glance

 I recently had an eye doctor appointment, which confirmed the sad truth that I no longer have perfect vision. I began to notice a problem when I had to sit and study for hours on end. All of that intense focus blurred my vision, and everything became an indistinguishable jumble, forcing me to stop and take a break.

How often don't we find ourselves so intent on studying our problems, that we lose focus of God?

 

I came across this statement in my devotions this morning and it really resonated with me:

"Gaze at God. Glance at problems."

 

As sinful humans, our natural tendency is to flip the two around. We have a nasty habit of gazing at our problems and occasionally glancing at God for help.

 

Gazing at our problems makes them appear daunting.
We become overwhelmed, worried, and fearful.

An example of this is seen through the figure of Peter walking on the water:
"So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, 'Lord save me.' Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, 'O you of little faith, why did you doubt?' And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him saying, 'Truly you are the Son of God.'"- Matthew 14: 29-33

Peter shifted his focus from Christ right beside him, to the storm that seemed to be closing in. He literally began to sink in his doubt. The same is true for us when we focus on the storms in our life's- we drown in worry.
 

But gazing at God makes Him appear larger.
We can be at peace knowing that our Lord is sovereign.

 

My favorite example of keeping our sights set on God is found in the story of Daniel and the Lion's Den:
Daniel 6:10 "[Daniel] got down on his knees... and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously."

Daniel 6: 21-23 "'My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king. I have done no harm.' Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God."

When we give thanks in a time of crisis, we reflect on God's previous faithfulness, setting us up to trust fully in Him. We can rest secure, because Jesus faced the ultimate lion's den for us. He went all the way to death so that like Daniel, we might be set free. Psalm 22: 13 relates Jesus' tortures to that of roaring lions:

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?... they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion."

 

Is your focus on the storms and lions in your life that are currently trying to consume you? Are you merely glancing at God for help when you need a hand? Or is your gaze set fixed on Him who has promised us in the words of Isaiah 26:3: "I keep Him in perfect peace whose focus is on Me."

 

{Don't lose focus of God}

 

 

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God"

- Hebrews 12:2