I feel like I have been wandering in the wildnerness lately- unfocused in terms of following the stewardship mandate that I acknowledge as truth. I read something by JC Ryle- my favorite author- this morning that struck a chord with me.Ryle says, "Our hearts are like the earth on which we tread; let it alone, and it is sure to bear weeds." What a truth! Daily connection to Christ and the purposes that He has for us are essential for our growth. John Calvin said in the Institutes of the Christian Religion, "Man's nature is a perpetual factory of idols."
We fill our hearts and time with stuff. For me lately, it has been too many temporal pursuits and not enough focus on the eternal. But I am re-calibrating. Hopefully, some of these thoughts will be an encouragement for you to do the same or carry on in the path of biblical stewardship.
My four focus areas of stewardship are: money, abilities, time and health (MATH). Here are some thoughts on how to glorify God in the use of these resources.
1. Organizing your time and day
I have been guilty of living a reactionary life for the last year. This is not good for many reasons because growth is stunted. My new resolve is to block my time in this fashion each day:
5am- 8am: Spiritual growth (Bible study, prayer, reading); Fitness (cross fit training; basketball; weights)
8am- 1pm: focus on one task and doing it well. It might be reviewing client accounts; reading something important for my business; scheduling appointments; seeing two clients face-to-face.
The point is to have 4-5 hours where you are not constantly distracted by returning phone calls; checking email 15 times and aimlessly browsing the web or watching media.
1pm- 6pm: similar focus of one task.
This may include studying something in-depth; anything related to performing my calling more effectively would qualify in these time blocks.
6pm- 10pm (and weekends): family/relationships/projects
Invest time in my wife, kids and friends- constantly winning over their hearts. Improving our home or the organization of treasures (photos/ journals/memories).
2. Healthy habits
I love the way I feel when I am living in a disciplined way. Eating a calorie-restricted diet of whole foods; breaking addictions to certain foods/sodas; having a gameplan for exercise that includes improvement in strength and endurance.
3. Managing/eliminating distractions
Meditate on the rewards for living a life of stewardship. Focus the mind on the promises of God for becoming a better manager of money, ability, time and health. Realize that Christians are promised not only Heaven when we die physically. But we are called to redeem this fallen world with the authority and purposes of God. There is no time for waste in any form.
Here are a few passages of Scripture to encourage us to keep our minds on the rewards of faithfulness to God:
Philippians 3:13-16, "...But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained."
2 Corinthians 4:16-18, "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight and momentary afflication is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."
I Peter 5:6-11, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all of your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To Him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen."
Living under the rule of One King,
Ashley Hodge
