5. Lessons on Stewardship



Good morning, sweet friends!

Today I've been thinking a lot about one of the most important lessons I've learned in the past few years: stewardship. Shortly after I became a Christian, God did what God does--he started pruning. In Christianity we call this sanctification. It's when God begins to work on you, to form you into someone who is more like Christ. 

There is a misconception about sanctification. Some people claim that sanctification happens when we receive the holy spirit and are saved. This implies that it is a one time deal and :: poof :: we're made new. The reality for a lot of us (if  not the majority of us) is that sanctification is a process ongoing for our lifetime.

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My first big lesson in sanctification was about how I wasn't being a good steward, in so many ways. The holy spirit convicted me that I wasn't being a good steward of my time, my home, my body, my mind, or my relationships. I use the word "steward" here to reflect that these are all things that are gifts from God. Scripture calls us to be good stewards of all God's gifts. 

The earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants belong to the Lord -- Psalm 24:1

Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning. -- James 1:17

Based on the gift each one has received, use it to serve others as good managers of the varied grace of God. -- 1 Peter 4:10 
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So, what was my reaction to this conviction as a newly minted Christian? I had a meltdown, of course. Old ways of thinking flooded my system. I shut down. I cried. I went numb. I fell into old, unhealthy coping patterns. And then I clawed my way out of the pit. I decided to take one step every day to be a better steward of my life. Just one. No need to go too wild. 

I started reading books about the areas I needed to (and am still working to) improve. The main areas that I had been neglecting were housekeeping, my relationship with food, time management, sleep patterns, my appearance, and mental health management. You can see why this would be a lot to tackle. As I started to slowly take action on making changes in these areas, I realized how deeply interconnected they all were.

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And thus begins my new series on stewardship. How can we be good stewards of God's gifts? I have not quite gotten to where I want to be in the areas listed above. This series will be a journey for both of us! 

What areas of stewardship do you want to improve in your life? Leave a comment below!

Until next time, stay cozy, friends,
Jessica

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