Ownership vs. Stewardship: The Intended Order of Things
Ownership vs. Stewardship: The Intended Order of Things
by Sanyika Calloway Boyce, The Financial Fitness Coach
Financial frustrations tend to keep people in a form of bondage; you might know first hand what I’m talking about – I do.
There have been times when I was tied up in knots, living with constant fear and stress coming from money, or lack thereof.
As we approach a New Year, I would guess that as you look ahead, one of the main concerns or even fears that you have has to do with your finances.
Questions like:
- Will I get out of debt this year or will I continue the cycle?
- Will our family income go up or will it go down?
- Will we have enough to save for our children’s college fund and fund our retirement?
- Should I start that business I’ve been praying about and will it help or hurt our financial situation?
- Should I go on that missions trip even if all the expenses are not covered by my fundraising efforts?
- Should we refinance our home and take out a line of credit for repairs?
The questions go on and on, some have quick and easy answers and others seem to go unanswered even after prayer and seeking wisdom.
Some of the things that affect our lives financially we simply have no control over. For the most part we have no say in what the Fed is going to do concerning inflation and interest rates, or over the ups and downs of our stock market or other world markets for that matter. We have little control over downsizing decisions, hiring practices, pay raises or putting an end to pension plans that Corporate America makes daily.
Often when faced with such seemingly insurmountable obstacles we feel as though there is nothing we can do to remedy the stress and frustration. These “realities” are not meant to cause you to convince yourself that you are nothing more than a victim of circumstance when it comes to your finances.
In this article, I’m not going to tell you the 10 ways to make money in the stock market, or how to increase your sales or even boost your bottom line. What I want to tell you is directly from the Bible and it will support you in seeing that regardless of the questions that seem to have no easy answers, in spite of the difficulties we sometimes face financially, nevertheless God wants us to break free from mental bondage and find financial freedom which is not dependent on a certain level of income but knowledge of the truth.
Consider these two different passages in the Bible, one from Leviticus 27, and then one from Psalm 50; at first glance they seem to contradict each other, but, when taken together, they actually have a very profound message which offers truth and relief.
In Leviticus 27, God tells the people to tithe, to bring the first 10 percent of their income, or more accurately the first 10 percent of whatever they used for income to their local place of worship. But then, in Psalm 50, God reflecting on all the practices of the people essentially says, go ahead and bring it, but I don’t need it.
Now, why would God say that?
Well, because wrongly the people thought, “One for God…10 for me…These over here are God’s oxen, grain and fruit, and these on this side are all mine.” But part of what God was trying to teach them and us is this simple truth; I don’t need you to give me possession to what I already own, because it’s mine anyway.
God is the source from which all things flow. Our businesses, our jobs, our various streams of income are only the conduits through which the source flows. He alone is the sole owner, and we are the stewards. This is the intended order of things.
However, when we operate outside of this order, the result causes perhaps more frustration, fear and stress than anything else in our lives.
The more we convince ourselves that we are the ones making the money and creating the resources to pay the bills and cover our expenses, the more we begin, without even realizing it, to put incredible pressure and stress on ourselves financially.
That’s not to say that we should simply sit idle and expect that manna will fall from heaven, or that “God will provide” independent of our action – for faith without works is dead.
What I am saying is, ignoring the natural order of things is a subtle but effective trap of the devil who will try to convince us time and time again that the green stuff in our wallets, the money in our accounts, that paycheck we earn or income we make from our business is all ours and we’re doing God a favor when we choose to give.
Here’s a New Year’s resolution worth making, and living. Tell yourself, “It is not my money. All that I have belongs to God.”
Be ever mindful that you are a steward, which means you represent God who has allowed you to manage and take care of His money, property and other resources that don’t belong to you but that you have been asked to take care of by Him.
I am convinced that if you make a commitment to learning or relearning this truth in the coming year the greater relief, comfort and financial freedom it will bring.
This reminds me of the catechism lesson we had to learn at our church that went like this.
First a question: “What is your only comfort in life and in death?”
The answer that we were taught: “That I am not my own, but belong body and soul, in life and in death, to my faithful Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.”
So when you become anxious for answers to your money questions or feel yourself getting financially frustrated, take a moment to read the comforting words of Jesus in Matthew 6:25-34 and know that God knows what you have need of. Then take your place in the intended order of things as found in Psalm 50 and Leviticus 27.
Let God be the owner, and you become the steward, and I guarantee it will bring you comfort and peace – this year and into the next.
Sanyika Calloway Boyce an author and speaker who travels nationwide to conduct seminars about money, credit and debt. Through the creation of ChristianMoneyMatters.com she helps believers see that, “Our money matters, matter to God” ™. Visit her online today at http://ChristianMoneyMatters.com
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