Leadership Thought: Who Says I Don’t Own My Money?

Dear Friends,

Glad you are still with us after I shared some thoughts about giving in yesterday’s Leadership Thought. Today, I want to continue discussing the subject of our stewardship.1.

Someone said Satan loves to have the church argue about money, for if he can get the church leaders spending more time talking about whether there is enough money to fix the roof, than fixing the ministry that’s under the roof, he has got you.

When it comes to giving, Paul succinctly sums up our responsibility in1 Cor 4:2 which states “that it is required of stewards to be faithful.” A steward is someone who manages someone else’s money. He is an asset manager.  He only does what the owner wants. He doesn’t own the store; he just works there. The steward manages the money that belongs to the owner. It is his responsibility to find out what the owner wants done with his assets, and then carry out his will.

John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, and one of the world’s greatest evangelists, clearly   understood this concept of ownership. When someone told Wesley that his home burned down, he said, “No, it was not his home, but the Lord’s house that burned down. This means one less responsibility for me.” His reaction was not denial but a bold affirmation that God is the owner of all things, and we are simply to manage His assets.

The bible tells us that one day we will all stand before God, and we shall give an account for the way we have managed His assets (Romans 14:10).

One man I read about carries in his wallet a card, and on one side is the statement “God owns every treasure. I am his investment manager." On the other side is written, “God wants me to use earthly treasures to store up heavenly treasures” and underneath are two bible references. They are Christ’s words in Matthew 6:1-4 and Paul’s words to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:6. I hope you will look them up. 

Simply put, to understand stewardships is to recognize that God owns it all, and that what happens to mine (my resources) is simply the result of what has happened to me.

Apparently not much has happened, if we consider that in 2021 80 percent of church members gave less than 2 percent of their income, and only 5 percent of those members gave a tithe, or at least 10 percent of their income. Few in the church are what might be called sacrificial givers.

It is easy to sing with our lips the words of the old gospel hymns “I surrender all,” and “take my silver and my gold, not a might would I withhold.” However, it another thing to share the message with our lives.

As you and I worship this Sunday, and it’s time to give, let us not be just lip singers but life sharers.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

P.S. Just a final thought. “Unless you and I commit ourselves to concrete plans for increasing our giving, I'm afraid God will come one day and find that we have all died from suffocating luxury.” Eva Dan Hartog