Stewardship is the accountability of what one is entrusted with.
I've been pondering for quite some time the term stewardship. We've all heard this word in sermons/Bible studies, etc., but what does it really involve? How we handle our finances? Our material possessions? Our time? Is that all? What if there is more? I came to the realization that when God required us to be good stewards of ALL THAT HE'S GIVEN US, He didn't really put a limit on what that involves. It isn't just one specific thing, or even a handful of specific things, but ALL THINGS. I believe He is leading me to focus on a particular few this year, and so my "theme" for the year is STEWARDSHIP. Last year's theme was SIMPLIFY and I felt that with God's help and by listening to the Spirit's heeding, I have actually accomplished that and learned what it truly means. It means that even though it's hard to say no to some things and even though I really want to do this or that or allow my children to pick up a certain extra activity, I must consider the cost to my family life/time, my marriage, my time with God, and my mental, emotional, and physical well-being as well as that of my children and husband. Sometimes you just HAVE to say NO....then walk away and don't look back. I feel like I have learned that this will be an ongoing lesson. By focusing on it for so long, though, I am much more aware and don't spout off the "Yes!" that used to slide off the tongue so easily.
The particular few things that I feel led to focus on my stewardship skills with are my health, my time (especially that spent with my family), and my home. As I mentioned in a previous post, it's not a "Weight loss resolution" but a call to be healthier and reflect that to my children. Our bodies are a gift from God....a loan, if you will. If Jesus knocked on your door and asked you to take care of His very special, delicate glass rose (or whatever you need to imagine to get the point), how would you handle it? You already know! That thing would be wrapped in the finest tissue and shrink wrap and cleaned daily, maybe several times a day, and be the best cared for item/thing you ever came across. There would be no limit to what I would do to take care of something that Jesus personally entrusted me with. Well, isn't that what my body is? A gift/loan that God has entrusted me with? If I can't be a good steward of my body, then how can He trust me with anything more? So. I am conscious now. I have, in the past, been a very healthy and health conscious person...exercising daily and always active. When/where/why that changed isn't really important I suppose and is really hard to pinpoint anyway. I can make up a thousand excuses and even if they are all totally understandable, they are still just that- excuses.
My time. Time is so elusive for me. I always feel like there can never be enough hours in the day. I've often thought that I would ask God when we get to heaven why He chose to make a day only 24 hours....it just isn't enough! Or is it? I needed to re-examine what was taking up so much of my time. All good, understandable things, but where would they rank with God? How important are they to Him? Are they holy? Pure?
Phillipians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things.
This is something I have striven (yes, that is actually a word!) to teach my girls for many years. So, that being said....I have ruled out a lot of computer time, and although I'm not much of one for t.v., I even managed to weed some of that out, too. Do I have "enough" time now? It doesn't always feel like it. But that's when I feel a warm breeze come over me, my shoulders relax, and I hear God telling me to sit back a moment and enjoy life, my children, and all the beauty that surrounds me. It's His gift to me....created to delight me, a love gift. It seriously feels like a warm hug straight from the Father.
My home. Oh geesh. Once upon a time I was a perfectionist, OCD if you will, and now it seems I'm the extreme opposite. When my oldest daughter was 7 and having difficulty at school because of her "perfectionism" (quote from the teacher) I realized what I had unintentionally projected upon my children. A life of chains...the bondage of feeling like everything you do must be perfect or it doesn't count. I didn't want that for them, so I learned to loosen up and tried to teach her that as well, before she got too much older. She's 13 now, and if you looked at her room, you may never believe me! LOL
I know there's a happy medium between perfectionism and total chaos. I found it via flylady once. Her methods really do work. Why I got away from it, I can't really pinpoint, but I did. I don't like scheduling our time according to the hour of the clock. The reason for that is that when my schedule says we are supposed to be doing something at 9am, and at 8:59 the kids aren't changing gears, I get REALLY FRUSTRATED, and that affects all of us. It sets a bad tone for the rest of the day. I wanna be happy. I want a home that is full of comfort, joy, peace, happiness, the love of the Lord and people. That can't happen in the midst of frustration. I prefer "routine" vs. "schedule" although I do feel it is important for my children to learn good work ethics, so we do have set times to get up and around...more blocked than "every 15 minutes" or whatever.
So....if I take too long to reply to an email, or my posts are few and far between for a while, you know why. I'm following God's leading. I'm searching His word. I'm reinstating my morning routine, good health habits, and stopping to smell the roses that are my children as they grow up so quickly, and the husband of my youth, as we grow old(er) together. :0)
Thank you to all that have been posting about trying to get their schedules or routines back in order. It really is very helpful to know that I'm not alone in some of these struggles. Guess what? YOU are not alone, either! LOL
I pray that all of us find a semblance of harmony this year, despite what is taking place this Tuesday. (When I googled this link, the first option was on mtv.com.....OH MY!)
I've been pondering for quite some time the term stewardship. We've all heard this word in sermons/Bible studies, etc., but what does it really involve? How we handle our finances? Our material possessions? Our time? Is that all? What if there is more? I came to the realization that when God required us to be good stewards of ALL THAT HE'S GIVEN US, He didn't really put a limit on what that involves. It isn't just one specific thing, or even a handful of specific things, but ALL THINGS. I believe He is leading me to focus on a particular few this year, and so my "theme" for the year is STEWARDSHIP. Last year's theme was SIMPLIFY and I felt that with God's help and by listening to the Spirit's heeding, I have actually accomplished that and learned what it truly means. It means that even though it's hard to say no to some things and even though I really want to do this or that or allow my children to pick up a certain extra activity, I must consider the cost to my family life/time, my marriage, my time with God, and my mental, emotional, and physical well-being as well as that of my children and husband. Sometimes you just HAVE to say NO....then walk away and don't look back. I feel like I have learned that this will be an ongoing lesson. By focusing on it for so long, though, I am much more aware and don't spout off the "Yes!" that used to slide off the tongue so easily.
The particular few things that I feel led to focus on my stewardship skills with are my health, my time (especially that spent with my family), and my home. As I mentioned in a previous post, it's not a "Weight loss resolution" but a call to be healthier and reflect that to my children. Our bodies are a gift from God....a loan, if you will. If Jesus knocked on your door and asked you to take care of His very special, delicate glass rose (or whatever you need to imagine to get the point), how would you handle it? You already know! That thing would be wrapped in the finest tissue and shrink wrap and cleaned daily, maybe several times a day, and be the best cared for item/thing you ever came across. There would be no limit to what I would do to take care of something that Jesus personally entrusted me with. Well, isn't that what my body is? A gift/loan that God has entrusted me with? If I can't be a good steward of my body, then how can He trust me with anything more? So. I am conscious now. I have, in the past, been a very healthy and health conscious person...exercising daily and always active. When/where/why that changed isn't really important I suppose and is really hard to pinpoint anyway. I can make up a thousand excuses and even if they are all totally understandable, they are still just that- excuses.
My time. Time is so elusive for me. I always feel like there can never be enough hours in the day. I've often thought that I would ask God when we get to heaven why He chose to make a day only 24 hours....it just isn't enough! Or is it? I needed to re-examine what was taking up so much of my time. All good, understandable things, but where would they rank with God? How important are they to Him? Are they holy? Pure?
Phillipians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things.
This is something I have striven (yes, that is actually a word!) to teach my girls for many years. So, that being said....I have ruled out a lot of computer time, and although I'm not much of one for t.v., I even managed to weed some of that out, too. Do I have "enough" time now? It doesn't always feel like it. But that's when I feel a warm breeze come over me, my shoulders relax, and I hear God telling me to sit back a moment and enjoy life, my children, and all the beauty that surrounds me. It's His gift to me....created to delight me, a love gift. It seriously feels like a warm hug straight from the Father.
My home. Oh geesh. Once upon a time I was a perfectionist, OCD if you will, and now it seems I'm the extreme opposite. When my oldest daughter was 7 and having difficulty at school because of her "perfectionism" (quote from the teacher) I realized what I had unintentionally projected upon my children. A life of chains...the bondage of feeling like everything you do must be perfect or it doesn't count. I didn't want that for them, so I learned to loosen up and tried to teach her that as well, before she got too much older. She's 13 now, and if you looked at her room, you may never believe me! LOL
I know there's a happy medium between perfectionism and total chaos. I found it via flylady once. Her methods really do work. Why I got away from it, I can't really pinpoint, but I did. I don't like scheduling our time according to the hour of the clock. The reason for that is that when my schedule says we are supposed to be doing something at 9am, and at 8:59 the kids aren't changing gears, I get REALLY FRUSTRATED, and that affects all of us. It sets a bad tone for the rest of the day. I wanna be happy. I want a home that is full of comfort, joy, peace, happiness, the love of the Lord and people. That can't happen in the midst of frustration. I prefer "routine" vs. "schedule" although I do feel it is important for my children to learn good work ethics, so we do have set times to get up and around...more blocked than "every 15 minutes" or whatever.
So....if I take too long to reply to an email, or my posts are few and far between for a while, you know why. I'm following God's leading. I'm searching His word. I'm reinstating my morning routine, good health habits, and stopping to smell the roses that are my children as they grow up so quickly, and the husband of my youth, as we grow old(er) together. :0)
Thank you to all that have been posting about trying to get their schedules or routines back in order. It really is very helpful to know that I'm not alone in some of these struggles. Guess what? YOU are not alone, either! LOL
I pray that all of us find a semblance of harmony this year, despite what is taking place this Tuesday. (When I googled this link, the first option was on mtv.com.....OH MY!)
