Godly Stewardship – Counting My Blessings

A wise friend once challenged us with a bold conversation about money that changed our lives and turned out to be a blessing full of wisdom. #Stewardship #Money #LoveMoney #CountingMyBlessings #BlessingBloggers

Have you ever had someone say something that annoyed you at the time but later you realized that God used that one comment to plant a seed and change your perspective?

This one occurred when Rev was a Seminary student assigned to do hands on instruction at the church where I was teaching 3rd grade. One of his assignments was making shut-in calls with an older gentleman from the church.

Harry was respected and loved by everyone but he had this one habit that could get on a person’s nerves. He referred to everything he “owned” as “belonging” to God. He drove God’s car and listened to God’s radio and so on and so forth.

So, Rev was a little put off when Harry asked him about our giving habits. We were poor students. I mean really poor students who were doing the best to make ends meet and we believed we were giving to the best of our ability.

But Harry challenged us in that conversation to 1. think of everything we had as a gift from God, and 2. faithfully give at least 10% of our income.

And Harry’s bold challenge about money changed our lives.

In Luke 16, Dr. Luke shared the way Jesus challenged His followers to change the way they thought about their finances.

No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.
Luke 16:13

When you and I think about our jobs and our incomes as blessings . . . gifts from God to be used generously for His glory. It changes everything. We start looking at Him with greater gratitude and at everything we have as ways to love others for His glory.

A Prayer to Trust God
with the Blessing of Money

Lord, You are Creator, Redeemer, Helper, and Friend. You are Lord of all! All we have is the result of Your loving care and creative hand. Your blessings extend to every corner of our lives.

Please forgive me for valuing things of this world more than I do the things that last forever. You have blessed me with all I need now and forever.

You forgive me and cover me with your grace, mercy, and love. You give me peace and joy, courage and strength, protection and provision. Please help me remember that all I have is a gift from Your hand and please help me to faithfully care for and use all I have been given in ways that will give Your glory and reflect Your love. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

An important point to remember when it comes to our attitudes about money is…

Money is a hard and deceptive master. Wealth promises power and control, but often it cannot deliver. Great fortunes can be made—and lost—overnight, and no amount of money can provide health, happiness, or eternal life.
Life Application Bible Notes

Stewardship is “the conducting, supervising, or managing of something; especially the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.”

All we have is only ours to use and the best way to do that is to prayerfully trust and obey God’s will and use all we have for His glory. And I have to tell you that change in attitude turned out to be an amazing blessing!

On today’s note write:

Everything is a gift from God to be used for His glory.

May you be blessed today as you prayerfully invite God to guide your use of all have.

Thank you so much for joining me today.

And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

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If this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone? Send it to a friend, family member, coworker, or share it through the links below…

I’m asking God to bless you today!

I want to live intentionally! I want to live my beliefs and values!

But I wonder if the people closest to me, who am I kidding … I wonder if I would say I’m actually fulfilling my goals.

That thought inspired to write a personal mission statement . . . a brief description of God’s purpose for my life.

What do you think..?

Do you have a personal mission statement?

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

The Bible says God has plans for His people. Plans and purposes for you and me.

If that’s true, I want to know what they are and live by them? Imagine how intentionally you and I could plan our days if we made it our goal to live His plans and purposes.

I believe writing a personal mission statement can help me plan my days wisely and help me know when to say “yes” and when it’s better to say “no.”

Since I thought you might want to write your own Mission Statement, I decided I’d share the process I used to write mine…

How to Start Your Mission Statement

Grab a pen and paper. Relax. Don’t over think your answers. Just start writing…

1. List the things you’re passionate about; things you love to do. e.g. Teaching, writing, business, parenting, etc.

2. List the qualities and values that best define your character. e.g. I am honest, patient, creative, funny, giving, etc.

3. List areas you’d like to improve. e.g. I would like to eat a healthy diet, exercise, spend more time in prayer and Bible study, advance my career, volunteer, etc.

4. Now go over your lists and combine them into one or two purposeful sentences, at the most paragraphs, that define who you are and who you’d like to become.

Remember you won’t come up with the perfect mission statement overnight. Take your time. Go over it often and tweak it as necessary.

I used the Franklin Covey – Build a Mission Statement – Live with Purpose

“You have a purpose in life. You know in your heart what’s most important to you. In fact, your mission and values are expressed every day, by how you live–you just may not realize it.”

The Live with Purpose program helped me narrow my thoughts down to the following:

I am at my best when I get enough rest, eat well, and exercise, and I will try to prevent times when I don’t…

I will enjoy my work by doing things where I can engage with people, do research, and write…

I will find enjoyment in my personal life by spending time with family and friends…

I will find opportunities to use my natural talents and gifts such as teaching and encouraging others…

I will learn more about blogging, social media, and engaging with my audience . . . and apply them.

My life’s journey is about loving God and loving others … living in ways others know how much I love Jesus…

I will do my best to be a person of whom my family and friends say “she loves big”…

I will strive to incorporate the following attributes into my life:

♥ laughter and organization
♥ determination and caring
♥ kindness and love

I will constantly renew myself by focusing on these four dimensions of my life:

♥ Physical Health – Exercise 3-4 times a week and eat a healthy diet.
♥ Spiritual Health – Spend time every day in prayer and Bible reading. I will gather with other believers regularly.
♥ Mental Health – Never stop learning and spend time with family and friends.
♥ Emotional Health – Schedule time for rest and relaxation.

That seemed like a lot to remember; so, I narrowed it down and made it more specific.

But first, I decided to look at the life of Jesus to see if I could learn more from His example of purposeful living.

“I believe that Jesus would have given His life for just one person. Jesus emptied Himself, He humbled Himself and He so yielded Himself to His Father’s love that He had no ambition of His own. He was not looking to build an empire, He did not want praise or adulation or to impress people with who or how many followed Him. He stopped over and over again for just one person, for just one life.” ~Heidi Baker

Jesus knew His mission, His purpose. He knew the plan and He lived it … in the process, He gave us a clear example of how intentional living should look.

Although you and I may not be able to change time and history and we may not affect countless lives for all eternity … we are able to make a difference in the lives of the people around us.

You see, Jesus gave all of us a sample Mission Statement…

Love the Lord God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength and love my neighbor as I love myself. Mark 12:30–31

So, that’s where I began…

My Mission Statement

To love God completely with all my mind and my emotions. To intentionally spend time every day in prayer and Bible study. To get enough rest, eat a healthy diet, and exercise so I’ll have the strength I need to love and care for the people in my life. To never stop learning, spend face to face time with friends and family and treat everyone (even me) with kindness and forgiveness. To celebrate each day’s blessings and glorify God with gratitude for His loving care. I will do this with God’s help and by His grace.

Writing Your Mission Statement
Let’s Sum It Up

Go back to your answers to the questions above. Based on your answers, write four or five “To…” sentences, succinctly naming those things most important to you. Stay positive – don’t use any negative words or phrases. You want to be inspired and motivated.

Remember, the goal of your Mission Statement is to:

Help you clearly identify what’s most important.
Give you a foundation for making major, life-directing decisions.
Help you make daily decisions in spite of circumstances or emotions.
Help you live intentionally … focused, confident, and intentional.

Once you’re finished, keep your Mission Statement someplace you can see it.

When you and I live our God-given purpose, we can approach each day with joy, focus on the opportunities He gives, and let Him do the rest!