Stewardship begins with a conversion of heart, a decision to give one’s life to the Lord and follow Him as His disciple. Yet, it doesn’t stop there. The decision to follow Jesus is not a one-time deal. It involves a daily commitment, a constant choice to choose Christ, to put Him first in our lives, to give Him the first fruits of our many gifts.
Living stewardship is not an easy task, especially in this day and age when the things of this world demand our attention on an almost hourly basis, and look so appealing. But we were not made for the things of this world. Our lives’ purposes reaches far beyond what we can see today, and, recognizing that, we must constantly focus our minds and our hearts on the Lord. Give Him ourselves – our time, our talents, and our treasure – and we will be amazed at the wonderful works He accomplishes through us.
I am reminded of a bold statement our current Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, made during the beginning of his pontificate. He said: “The world offers you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.”
What powerful words! These words speak of a profound reality of the human condition. We were created for so much more than this world. We were created for union with God, for a perfect union in heavenly glory. And yet, as Christ’s disciples, we are called to live in this world today. But there are so many evils that have invaded modern society. The world, it seems, has been saturated in selfishness, greed, secularism, and so much more – values that are utterly opposed to the stewardship way of life, a life which calls for selflessness and giving.
So how do we live in this world, but not of it? How do we choose, day in and day out, to live for Christ as His disciples, not letting the influences of the world impact our decision?
Pray! Pray! Pray!
I can’t say it enough. We must pray every day. We must keep a close relationship with the Lord we serve.
We are bound to get off track, to give into the ways of the world now and again, but we must fight against it. We must remember that we are made for the Lord alone, that it is He alone who will make us truly happy, and we must make the choice to turn to Him, day after day after day.
As I conclude, I leave you with one piece of advice – pray!
Jesus is there for us. He wants us to come to Him, and, when we do, we will find deep fulfillment, a happiness to which nothing else can compare.
