Unrushed Living: Embracing Simplicity and Savoring Life's MomentsSample

Stewardship: The Gift and the Challenge

It is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. I CORINTHIANS 4:2

Oh, she was blessed. She knew it. These children God had given her were precious and beautiful. They brought her joy and made her laugh, challenged her and invited her to grow exponentially as a parent and a person. It wasn’t lost on her how important her role as a mother was. She was responsible for these amazing little humans as they grew and learned who God was. So she prayed constantly, asking God to help her carry the responsibility well.

Do you ever consider yourself wealthy? Maybe in the financial sense, but maybe also in ways that can’t be measured quite so easily—family, friendships, a leadership role, a home of your own, a skill or gift that blesses others? What do you have that God gave you? We rarely recognize the gifts that God has given each of us. We take so much for granted. But along with the things that God entrusts us with comes the responsibility to steward those things well. Children are a great example. Many of us pray for children and recognize with joy that God has blessed us. But when they start talking back or make more messes than we can keep up with, we grumble and complain. But the messes come with the challenge of shepherding the children He has blessed us with. James 3:1 says that few people should want to be teachers of Scripture because of the responsibility that comes along with it. We can apply that to any gift, really—what God has given you, He hopes you’ll use well.

God,

thank You for allowing me to play a significant part in furthering Your Kingdom and bringing glory to Your name. May I take care of the things in my life, whether big or small, that You have entrusted me with so I can be a testimony to those around me. You have blessed me. Therefore, I want to continue to remain faithful and true to who You have created me to be.

In Jesus’s name, Amen.