Now it is required of stewards that they be found faithful." (1Corinthians 4:2)
A steward manages the property of someone else. God has made us managers in five areas, or “ways”.
A well-known verse in Proverbs 3:6 says
“In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”
If you imagine your life as a busy superhighway, your ways can be thought of as the parallel lanes—the different roles you fill in your life. You navigate from lane to lane, always headed in the same direction. God will make that direction clear as you acknowledge Him in each lane. To acknowledge Him means to line up with His will in each of these areas, to agree that He knows the best practices and to follow His directions. To steward these areas means to give each one the time and attention it needs to fulfill what God wants.
Here are five “ways” or lanes in the superhighway of your life that we need to manage for God’s glory:
the way of your faith
the way of your self
the way of your people
the way of your stuff
the way of your assignment
The Way of Your Faith
To love God is the most important thing. Time and attention need to be given to knowing Him better and cultivating our "first love" for Him.
The Way of Your Self
You have been given one body and one mind. These are the Temple of the Holy Spirit, the dwelling place of God Himself. As stewards, we must do regular Temple maintenance.
The Way of Your People
The second commandment is to love others. God has put particular people into the circles of your life to impact.
The Way of Your Stuff
This is what we usually think of when we think of being stewards. The material things that God has placed into our hands. Yep, it all belongs to Him and we need to consider how we manage it and care for it.
The Way of Your Assignment
Paul refers to his Kingdom Assignment as his “stewardship of God’s grace.” This is by far the most amazing thing that God entrusts to each of us: a portion of His very grace to share. To be a conduit of His unmerited goodness and power to people is an unbelievable privilege.
I believe if you and I are intentional about each of these ways and how we can acknowledge God, we will be traveling safely on "Wisdom Trail" and headed toward hearing "Well done, good and faithful servant!"
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