Stewardship - A Way of Living
Time, Talent and Treasure
Good stewards recognize the blessings of God in their lives. In gratitude, the stewards desire to give back to God and to others as much as possible. They offer a sacrifice of praise to God through the gift of their time, talent and treasure in service of God and neighbor, and in turn, God pours blessings out on them. “Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down and overflowing will be poured into your lap. For the measure you measure with will be measured back to you.” (Luke 6:38) That is the experience of good stewards.
We must learn to give the best we have to God and others. Why? It is not just because God promises great blessings when we do, but because the meaning of our lives is found in becoming like Jesus. Jesus gave his best time, talent and treasure to his Father and to all those he served. He gave away everything he had, even his own body and blood in sacrifice for our sins. How can we give like this? Only by the grace of God.
Give God our best time
When we pray, we often give God leftover time. We work hard, come home and get involved with family events or our own pursuits, and if there is a little time before bed, we might say a prayer. That is what I call leftover time. It is putting God last on the list. God ought to be first! So, good stewardship of time means giving the best time of our day to God and others.
Suggestion: Make an appointment with God each day – just like you would with the doctor! It is much easier to keep an appointment when we have it written down
Give God and others our best talents
Often, the first step in doing this is discovering the gifts we have, and being bold and courageous enough to use them. We need to trust what others tell us about our gifts. Sometimes, others can recognize our gifts better than we can. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.” (Matt 5:14) We are not to hide our light under a bushel basket.
Suggestion: Make a list of things you do well or gifts you have, and then ask someone close to you to do the same. Offer yourself in service of your local parish or charitable organization based on the gifts you have identified.
Give God our best treasure
As Jesus was once watching people give in the temple area, some were marveling at how much the wealthy were giving. Jesus watched a widow put two small coins into the collection and He told His disciples that she had given more than all the rest! “For those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.” (Luke 21:1-4) Again, we can give God leftover money. We can “tip” God, or the poor in our midst. The good steward gives God the first fruits of the harvest.
Suggestion: Think and pray deeply about the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and pray to him for the grace to make a sacrifice that resembles his own. The only way to begin giving is to do it.
Stewardship Prayer
Dear Father, I pray with a grateful heart. You have blessed me in so many ways. Thank you for the time I have right now to pray to you. Thank you for the gift of time that I can spend with family and friends, neighbor and stranger. Thank you for the gift to be alive in this world and for the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ.
Help me, Father, to use wisely the time, talents and treasure you have given me. Grant me a generous heart when I pray and ask for your will to be done in my life. Allow me to surrender to you as Jesus did. Grant me the courage to use the gifts and talents you have given me for the building up of the kingdom on earth. Help me to forget myself and serve you with generosity. May I not seek recognition or status in my community, but only to serve you well.
I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Originally Published By:
Gulf Coast Catholic | GulfCoastCatholic.org | Wednesday Wave | Published October 13, 2021
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