The Stewardship Planning Committee enjoys bringing you “food for thought” every month about what it means to be good stewards of God’s blessings and resources in this world. This month we will focus on an area in our lives that might be too easily overlooked: being Stewards of God’s Word. I must confess there are many times that I suddenly realize that it has been a while since I devoted some focused reading time in my Bible. I do have my favorite Bible verses, and I have committed a good number of them to memory. But I find when I take the time to really read the whole story in the chapter, and/or previous verses leading up to my favorite parts, I discover new things that I might not have noticed or understood before.
God’s Word is truly a living, breathing document that can transcend the centuries from the time the various authors put these important words from God into written form. I find that the stories and the teachings from the Bible still hold great value and guidance in my own life. Psalms 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.” The Psalms in the Old Testament are believed to be mostly prayers that were put to music. Here is an example: read Psalms 100 out loud and imagine what it would be like to sing the words, and clap along with the music! Here is another example: read John 3:16, and see if you can memorize it. Do these words still have meaning today, centuries after they were written? Are they still relevant in the 21st Century? If a person memorized this one verse, and recited it every day for a month, do you think their life might be changed in significant ways?
When we turn again to Jesus’ parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30, we get a pretty good idea of how God might expect his people to behave as stewards of God’s world and resources. This certainly includes God’s Word. Let’s insert “God’s Word” in this story, in place of the word “talent”, and hear how that sounds: Matthew 25:18 – But the one who had received the “Word of God” went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s “Word”. That does not feel very good in my heart.
This reminds us of another important aspect of stewardship; not only are we to cherish and protect God’s Word, we are also required to share it with the world around us. In I Corinthians 4:1, Paul writes, “Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ, and stewards of God’s mysteries.” God has gifted us, and entrusted us, with his Word – and He calls us to pass it along to others. Our primary role as disciples of Jesus, is to study and know God’s Word, and then to communicate that “good news” to our neighbors.
This month, let us remember what it means to be disciples of Jesus, and to be stewards of God’s Word. As we read the scriptures, we can take time to meditate on them. Put yourself in the story and into each scene. Notice which words really touch your heart. Ask the Lord to help you know him through his Word. And listen for God’s voice speaking to you in numerous ways. Give thanks for the great gift that God has given us to bless us – His Word.
Come to our stewardship Community Connections cluster on October 20 – about being Stewards of God’s Word.