PRAYER: Lord, I have heard Your Word. Help me to be a doer of Your Word.
DAY 12 - READ 2 CORINTHIANS 8:7-8
Stewardship is the point where our faith and our actions intersect—where what we believe and what we do join together. To put it simply, it means walking the walk as well as talking the talk. Now that we have made a faith commitment and are earnestly seeking God’s will in prayer, it is time to turn what we are learning and hearing into practice. We are on a spiritual journey—finding ways to be sowers of the seeds of the gospel, finding ways to worship, grow, and serve together, and seeking the eternal harvest that comes from being a part of God’s kingdom. Let’s ask, “Okay Lord, what have you equipped me and blessed me to do?” What resources have you entrusted to me? How can I think creatively about giving—beyond the narrow box of my income and expenses—in order to give of myself fully? Are there assets beyond my monthly income that I can give? Can I find ways to serve with my time, talents, and gifts? Am I using my time wisely? What are my priorities? How are they changing through this spiritual journey?
Does my faith commitment lead me to reprioritize my life, evaluate my time, and thus, free up resources for serving and giving?
Talking to the church in Corinth, Paul knows giving is not the starting point. The great joy that comes from a life of growing and serving with Christ changes our heart. Giving is one of the fruits that is produced in our lives out of this great joy. But, as Paul understands, giving is a test of the heart in action, a test of the genuineness of love. Giving is where what we believe gets real. It is time to be a good steward.
ACTION ITEM
Make two lists. First, identify and give thanks for all that God has blessed you with. Second, list ways you can be a good steward of all that God has given to you. How can you step out in faith and “abound in this gracious work of giving also?” Use this list as a worksheet to help you determine your stewardship and giving commitments over the next week.