Personal Stewardship

God always seems to deal with me in themes. Lately He's been talking to me about my personal stewardship. Yes, part of personal stewardship is finance related, but there are so many other areas that are often overlooked:

• Time ~ How do we manage it? What percentage of each 24 hour period is spent in front of the television? Reading our Bible? Praying? Attending to our spouse's needs? In self-care? In self-improvement?
  

• Our Home ~ What does it mean to be a good steward of our home? I think part of the answer is found in Rom 12:13:
  

"Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality."

This is an area I really need to work on. My home is very nice, but often it's a struggle to keep it in enough order than someone could just drop by. Part of my personal stewardship goal is to spend a few 15 minute spurts tidying up my house each day. This idea came to me via The Fly Lady. If you haven't heard of her unique approach check her website out at http://www.flylady.net/pages/FLYingLessons_Decluttertips.asp

• Our Body ~ Boy this is a real hard one for me. If you've seen my pictures you know I am a very large woman. Yesterday I was going through my wedding album. It saddened me to realize how much weight I've gained over the last 25 years. I've prayed about my weight often, but today as I was meditating on this concept of personal stewardship, it occured to me that I am responsible for being a good steward of my body too. (I doubt this is an orginal idea, but it was a new, heartfelt concept for me). Again, the Holy Bible confirms this:

"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; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."

(I Corinthians 6: 19-20 NIV)

What areas of personal stewardship do you deal with?

I'd love to hear about it.

Let's pray and encourage one another to excellence!

PRE-DAWN PRAYER

My alarm goes off at 5am on weekday mornings. I usually hit the snooze a couple of times and manage to be up and staring bleary eyed over my morning coffee by 5:30am. My normal workday routine is coffee and Bible reading until 6am. Then I pray until 6:30am, get ready and leave the house by 7am.

But God has been dealing with me all week to get up even earlier. I can feel Him wooing me - drawing me. I feel as if He has special treasures for me that will only come from pre-dawn communion with Him.

"And in the morning, rising up a great while before the day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed." -Mark 1:35

Andrew Murray has this to say on this topic: "While others still slept, He went away to pray and to renew His strength in communion with His Father. He had need of this, otherwise He would not have been ready for the new day. The holy work of delivering souls demands constant renewal through fellowship with God."

Oh God, help me to seek You early and with the freshness of the morning.

What about you? What time do you pray?

ROLE MODELS

In the news this weekend some high profile athletes have been a big disappointment. I don't follow sports too closely, but when internationally known athletes throw fits and belittle former teammates on national televesion I feel compelled to comment.

Michael Jordan, while being inducted into the Hall of Fame used the occasion to settle scores from 10-15 years ago. See http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/2009/9/12/michael_jordan_offers_scalding_hall_of.htm

And then there was Serena William's outburst at the U.S. Open http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZcDn8JWCLo

Don't these high profile individuals and others like them have an obligation to be an example? I fear the message impressionable children recieve is 'If I'm big enough, smart enough or successful enough I can treat others how I please.'

How sad for Michael Jordan and Serena Williams to have the riches of fame, but be poor in human kindness.

How sad for the children of the world to see Michael Jordan and Serena Williams disrespect so many.

May God raise up holy and righteous athletes and national leaders to example common decency. To show the world how to play fair, and be a team and prefer others more than yourself. The Holy Bible puts it this way:

Phil 2:3-4
"Don't be selfish; don't live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. Don't think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing..."
(Philippians 2:3-4 New Living Translation)

Does anyone know any righteous role models? I'd like to hear about it and share it with everyone I know. My goal is to undergird in prayer those who are exampling Christ.

Until next time...

Heroin's Harness

I visited a friend yesterday who's son died of a drug overdose. The shock and sense of loss hung thick in the air. Comforting the bereaved is never an easy task but in this situation it proved even more challenging. The usual, 'Oh he's in a better place now' was clearly not appropiate. So instead, I just sat close to her and talked about old times. We looked at pictures and swapped stories of his prior antics. I think the time we spent gave her some comfort.

But on the drive home, instead of sadness, I felt anger and a strange resolve welling up in me. 'The Enemy and his hook of Heroin addiction will not have free reign in my circle of influence' I determined. I will do my part. I will use my gift of writing and the avenue of prayer to fight Heroin's hypnotic sway.

And then it all came together in my mind:

Over the summer the Lord Jesus has been dealing with me to pray specifically for the schools in my community and for my grandkid's schools. I didn't question the Lord's request, but I didn't give it any deep thought either. I just dutifully added the names of the schools to my prayer list. But now, I realize, part of this pull to intercede for the schools is to keep a shield of holy protection so the drug lords and demonic influence cannnot prevail.

Thank-you God for the awareness! I will pray diligently!

And, I will seek to support organizations that are already helping those with addictions or the families of those who've lost a loved one. One I've discovered already is http://www.celebraterecoveryonline.com/ .

Will you join me? Share your stories or pray with me that we might stand together in Jesus name.


-Debbie

GOD'S GLORY

I've been thinking alot lately about my purpose in life. When God created me, what did He create me to become? Jeremiah 29:11 gives this answer:

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

Thank-you Lord. I'm thankful you intend good towards me and do not plan to destroy me. But what specifically do you plan for my future? I know I was created for Your glory. The Bible is full of references to Your purpose for all of humanity. (Leviticus 10:3, Exodus 14:4, Psalm 19:1) But how do you want to use me to give You glory? My writing for instance. Which of my articles give You the most glory? And what is it specifically that I write that pleases You? How can I best give you glory in my role as a wife and mother? What about in my work, or in my extended family or with my neighbors?

And so my prayer [s] continue daily always seeking to please the One who chose my blue eyes and gave me freckles. I want to give Him glory in all that I do. I am the created thing, He is the Creator. He formed me in my mother's womb. He chose my ancestors. He predisposed me to certain genetic traits. He gifted me for a unique purpose. Once I get this - I mean really get this - life gains new perspective. Max Lucado put's it like this in his book It's Not About Me:

"What you are to a paper airplane, God is to you. Take a sheet of paper and make one. Contrast yourself with your creation. Challenge it to a spelling contest. Who will win? Dare it to race you around the block. Who is faster? Invite the airplane to a game of one-on-one basketball. Will you not dominate the court?"

And so it is with us. He who made us knows, sees and understands all. What is our purpose? To give Him glory? To do our very best in every tasks He assigns us.

"1 Cor 10:31
31 So then, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you may do, do all for the honor and glory of God. " (I Corinthians 10:31 Amplified Bible)