Series: What Does God Want?
Sermon: Steward Our Lives
Throughout Scripture we're reminded that God blesses us to be a blessing to others. Whether we're talking about time, relationships, finances, spiritual gifts, health, family, or truth, how you manage each area of your life is of utmost importance to God. Take a few moments to re-read Jesus' Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30 and reflect on the following questions regarding the principle of stewardship.
Psalm 24:1 says, "The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." Oftentimes, we tend to view what we've received as our own – i.e. our time, our money, our talents, our life, etc. Yet both the Parable of the Talents and Psalm 24:1 instruct us that God is indeed the "owner" and you are His "manager" who is accountable to Him for what you've received. If that's true, then what practical implications should that truth have upon how you think about what's "yours" and on how you make decisions about stewarding "your" life?
John Piper encourages us that God's desire is for us to become conduits of His grace rather than cul-de-sacs...to become running streams rather than stagnant pools. God never intended for us to keep 100% of what He gives us, but rather to invest some of it back into His mission on this earth. As you think about your time, talents, treasures, truth, and relationships, which area of your life are you managing well? Which area is God pinpointing that needs to be managed better? What decision is He prompting you to make to help you learn to hold the "stuff of life" loosely rather than with a clenched fist?
In his book The Treasure Principle, Randy Alcorn says, "We should live not for the dot but for the line. Our life on earth is the dot. It begins. It ends. It's brief. But the line that goes out from the dot goes on forever and represents eternity. Right now we're living in the dot. But the question is what are we living for?"
How does this simple illustration strike you? How might it impact the way you view and steward your life...not only for your own sake, but also for the sake of others?
"Lord may what will be most important to us five minutes after we die become most important to us now." -Randy Alcorn, The Treasure Principle
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