I was standing in line, outside of a packed calzone spot in St.Louis with my two good friends Taylor & Nate Smolek when it all came together. Rain was starting to sprinkle from the gray sky. After gazing up at concrete-brick jungles for a few, I jumped right into catching up with old friends. We only had so much time to grab lunch before meandering back through downtown to Urbana15.
The next thing I knew I was standing in sprinkles, sharing with these two what I've been learning over the past weeks. "I think it's really cool when you realize that what you've been learning has been gathered from multiple mediums to form similar thoughts and truths." That similar truth for me lately has been on a single idea;
Stewardship.
I've been learning about Stewardship in a variety of ways. The word Oikonomia was introduced to me a few weeks ago. One that is greek for "God's economy of all things." In other words; God's original intention and purpose for his creation, and how we as humans are invited into that. How cool is that!. One way that I've thought about Stewardship lately is "knowing what is mine, and knowing what is Gods." Ironically, I've also been learning about how much of my life is a gift from God as a gracious Father. Everything really. How nuts is that! ( what about me?? do i really own anything?).
I've heard about the word stewardship a bunch, but I think its even more than just taking care of what God has entrusted to us as humans. I think its deeper than that. And not just being entrusted with something at one point of time. More than just at the beginning of the world. When I think of the word stewardship, I automatically think of the Garden in Genesis 1 + 2. Adam & Eve being delegated as stewards to creation. and that one I get.
But what I've been learning a lot about lately are things that are harder to put in neat boxes when it comes to stewardship.
like money. physical wellness. eating habits. social media usage. product consuming. my abilities. and even how i view myself.
those seem to be much harder things to know how to steward well, especially in the nitty gritty of day-to-day life.
However, I've been super bless-ed through the ways that God has been patiently revealing to me quiet, some-times difficult truths.
Today I finished reading One Thousand Gifts. A book just filled with the idea that life is a continuous gift, but that life is also one that is continuously soaked in Grace from God. Maybe those two are more connected than I thought. Each moment, whether a drop-dead gorgeous sunset, a sleepy dog napping, or even a hard day at work, are moments gifted - ones than point us to our Creator through gratitude. Everything I have is a gift from Him.
Life as gift is a posture that can continuously breathe thankfulness as well as give praise to God.
However, things can get hard when we are tricked into believing we've earned our lives. The bottom falls out when we feel like God owes us something. When what we have isn't worth submitting. When we for some reason don't feel satisfied. When It isn't worth giving up. Cause it's mine, right? I earned it? I need it?
Amidst a knowledge-packed and Spirit-driven week at Urbana last week in St. Louis, Patrick Fung's single quote sticks out:
"Christ is either Lord of all, or He isn't Lord at all.'
For me, this line says a lot of about submitting our lives to Jesus. Yet, I feel like it also speaks to me about stewardship.
Could it be the two are connected?
What would it look like for us to start to ask God how we can be good stewards of ALL aspects of our lives? How might the way we spend money change? How might change what or how we consume things? How might change the way that we spend time with people? How might change the way we spend time with God?
I don't claim to have the answers, but I think there is something so beautiful and necessary not only about us understanding how and why we are created, but also about how to live as God intends us to.
Be blessed, friends! I would love to hear any ideas or inklings from you all!
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body" ( 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 )
The next thing I knew I was standing in sprinkles, sharing with these two what I've been learning over the past weeks. "I think it's really cool when you realize that what you've been learning has been gathered from multiple mediums to form similar thoughts and truths." That similar truth for me lately has been on a single idea;
Stewardship.
I've been learning about Stewardship in a variety of ways. The word Oikonomia was introduced to me a few weeks ago. One that is greek for "God's economy of all things." In other words; God's original intention and purpose for his creation, and how we as humans are invited into that. How cool is that!. One way that I've thought about Stewardship lately is "knowing what is mine, and knowing what is Gods." Ironically, I've also been learning about how much of my life is a gift from God as a gracious Father. Everything really. How nuts is that! ( what about me?? do i really own anything?).
I've heard about the word stewardship a bunch, but I think its even more than just taking care of what God has entrusted to us as humans. I think its deeper than that. And not just being entrusted with something at one point of time. More than just at the beginning of the world. When I think of the word stewardship, I automatically think of the Garden in Genesis 1 + 2. Adam & Eve being delegated as stewards to creation. and that one I get.
But what I've been learning a lot about lately are things that are harder to put in neat boxes when it comes to stewardship.
like money. physical wellness. eating habits. social media usage. product consuming. my abilities. and even how i view myself.
those seem to be much harder things to know how to steward well, especially in the nitty gritty of day-to-day life.
However, I've been super bless-ed through the ways that God has been patiently revealing to me quiet, some-times difficult truths.
Today I finished reading One Thousand Gifts. A book just filled with the idea that life is a continuous gift, but that life is also one that is continuously soaked in Grace from God. Maybe those two are more connected than I thought. Each moment, whether a drop-dead gorgeous sunset, a sleepy dog napping, or even a hard day at work, are moments gifted - ones than point us to our Creator through gratitude. Everything I have is a gift from Him.
Life as gift is a posture that can continuously breathe thankfulness as well as give praise to God.
However, things can get hard when we are tricked into believing we've earned our lives. The bottom falls out when we feel like God owes us something. When what we have isn't worth submitting. When we for some reason don't feel satisfied. When It isn't worth giving up. Cause it's mine, right? I earned it? I need it?
Amidst a knowledge-packed and Spirit-driven week at Urbana last week in St. Louis, Patrick Fung's single quote sticks out:
"Christ is either Lord of all, or He isn't Lord at all.'
For me, this line says a lot of about submitting our lives to Jesus. Yet, I feel like it also speaks to me about stewardship.
Could it be the two are connected?
What would it look like for us to start to ask God how we can be good stewards of ALL aspects of our lives? How might the way we spend money change? How might change what or how we consume things? How might change the way that we spend time with people? How might change the way we spend time with God?
I don't claim to have the answers, but I think there is something so beautiful and necessary not only about us understanding how and why we are created, but also about how to live as God intends us to.
Be blessed, friends! I would love to hear any ideas or inklings from you all!
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body" ( 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 )