“Well done, you upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the blessedness) which your master enjoys. Matthew 25:21 Amplified Bible
This is what Jesus says to us when we are good stewards of all that He has entrusted to us. I have been seriously evaluating my life and I have asked the Lord to help me properly manage all areas of it. I want to be a better mother, wife, sister, friend, and teacher. I want to manage our money properly. Sow our financial seeds when and where He says to give. I want to help harvest and labor wherever He wants me to be. My gifts and talents are His to do with as He pleases. I just want to hear Him say these words to me, or something like it, “Well done good and faithful servant. I have expanded your territory. Begin the joyous tasks that I have assigned to you”.
Well we can hear those words one day if we are responsible with everything that the Lord has entrusted to us. Remember that all that we have belongs to our Lord. We do not own anything. We are merely caretakers of our Master’s stuff. Our gifts, special abilities, money, and material possessions have been entrusted to us by Jesus. Our increase is really His increase for the kingdom.
He expects us to use what we have wisely. Each of us has received our proportion according to the ability that we have to manage what we have been given. For those of us who use well what we have been given we shall be given even more, and we shall have abundance. But for those who are unfaithful, unfruitful, and abusive with what the Lord has entrusted to them, even what little they have will be taken away from them. Then because of their own irresponsibility and self-centeredness they will be subject to punishment. (Matthew 25:29-30)
So how do we really become good caretakers of the blessings that the Lord has given us and entrusted to us?
1) First and most importantly I think we have to remember that everything that we have comes from Jehovah-Jireh-God our Provider. Every good and perfect gift comes from Him. He is the one that gives us the ability to obtain wealth. He is the one who has blessed us with wisdom to do our jobs and ministries. He is our Source and our Provider. If we will remember this always then He will always have first place in every area of our life. (James 1:17)
2) Honor the Lord by giving Him the first part of all your income. DO NOT give God your left overs!!! When you give the Lord the first 10% of your income you are showing that He truly is first priority in your life and that you trust Him to provide. Tithing is putting action to your faith. The purpose of tithing is in fact to teach us always to put God first in our lives. (Proverbs 3:9-10, Deuteronomy 14:23)
3) Become a willing and cheerful giver. Look for opportunities to give and help others. Remember that our Lord has blessed you so that you can be a blessing to others. I am not just talking about financially, although you should be willing to give above your tithe and offerings if the Lord leads you to. God is able to make it up to you by giving you everything you need and more, so that there will not only be enough for your own needs, but plenty left over to give joyfully to others.
Give your time to help someone else move, do repairs in their homes or car, visit someone in prison, a hospital, or a retirement home. Share your house and car by inviting others over for dinner, use your home to host a bible study, drive someone to church or work. Giving is about sharing your material belongs, gifts, and talents with the body of Christ as well as the unbelievers. (2 Corinthians 9:6-15)
4) Be willing to use your spiritual gifts generously and immediately when you are prompted by the Holy Spirit. Do not hold back. The Holy Spirit has given each of us gifts and powers as a means of helping the church. Whether you have the ability to give wise advice, have the power to heal, are especially good at studying and teaching, have special faith, or the power to prophesy and preach; dedicate your gifts to God’s service not for your own personal gain. (Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11)
5) Remember that you are the temple of God, so give yourselves to Him completely. Your body should be a living sacrifice, holy-the kind He can accept. Exercise, eat right, and do not pollute your body with drugs, alcohol, and smoke. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind by reading the Word of God. Beware of what you watch on TV, movies, and what you read. The Holy Spirit which lives in you will prompt you when He is grieved, don’t ignore Him. Be a living testimony, it is the least we can do after all our Lord has done for us. (Romans 12:1-2, Ephesians 4:30)
Our entire lives belong to Christ Jesus. Everything we have is His and meant to be used to advance His kingdom. We were saved to bring Him glory. He has gone to prepare a place for us and He has promised to return one day. May our Lord come back and find us diligently doing our Father’s work so that we can all hear Him say, “Well done good and faithful servant!”
This is what Jesus says to us when we are good stewards of all that He has entrusted to us. I have been seriously evaluating my life and I have asked the Lord to help me properly manage all areas of it. I want to be a better mother, wife, sister, friend, and teacher. I want to manage our money properly. Sow our financial seeds when and where He says to give. I want to help harvest and labor wherever He wants me to be. My gifts and talents are His to do with as He pleases. I just want to hear Him say these words to me, or something like it, “Well done good and faithful servant. I have expanded your territory. Begin the joyous tasks that I have assigned to you”.
Well we can hear those words one day if we are responsible with everything that the Lord has entrusted to us. Remember that all that we have belongs to our Lord. We do not own anything. We are merely caretakers of our Master’s stuff. Our gifts, special abilities, money, and material possessions have been entrusted to us by Jesus. Our increase is really His increase for the kingdom.
He expects us to use what we have wisely. Each of us has received our proportion according to the ability that we have to manage what we have been given. For those of us who use well what we have been given we shall be given even more, and we shall have abundance. But for those who are unfaithful, unfruitful, and abusive with what the Lord has entrusted to them, even what little they have will be taken away from them. Then because of their own irresponsibility and self-centeredness they will be subject to punishment. (Matthew 25:29-30)
So how do we really become good caretakers of the blessings that the Lord has given us and entrusted to us?
1) First and most importantly I think we have to remember that everything that we have comes from Jehovah-Jireh-God our Provider. Every good and perfect gift comes from Him. He is the one that gives us the ability to obtain wealth. He is the one who has blessed us with wisdom to do our jobs and ministries. He is our Source and our Provider. If we will remember this always then He will always have first place in every area of our life. (James 1:17)
2) Honor the Lord by giving Him the first part of all your income. DO NOT give God your left overs!!! When you give the Lord the first 10% of your income you are showing that He truly is first priority in your life and that you trust Him to provide. Tithing is putting action to your faith. The purpose of tithing is in fact to teach us always to put God first in our lives. (Proverbs 3:9-10, Deuteronomy 14:23)
3) Become a willing and cheerful giver. Look for opportunities to give and help others. Remember that our Lord has blessed you so that you can be a blessing to others. I am not just talking about financially, although you should be willing to give above your tithe and offerings if the Lord leads you to. God is able to make it up to you by giving you everything you need and more, so that there will not only be enough for your own needs, but plenty left over to give joyfully to others.
Give your time to help someone else move, do repairs in their homes or car, visit someone in prison, a hospital, or a retirement home. Share your house and car by inviting others over for dinner, use your home to host a bible study, drive someone to church or work. Giving is about sharing your material belongs, gifts, and talents with the body of Christ as well as the unbelievers. (2 Corinthians 9:6-15)
4) Be willing to use your spiritual gifts generously and immediately when you are prompted by the Holy Spirit. Do not hold back. The Holy Spirit has given each of us gifts and powers as a means of helping the church. Whether you have the ability to give wise advice, have the power to heal, are especially good at studying and teaching, have special faith, or the power to prophesy and preach; dedicate your gifts to God’s service not for your own personal gain. (Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11)
5) Remember that you are the temple of God, so give yourselves to Him completely. Your body should be a living sacrifice, holy-the kind He can accept. Exercise, eat right, and do not pollute your body with drugs, alcohol, and smoke. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind by reading the Word of God. Beware of what you watch on TV, movies, and what you read. The Holy Spirit which lives in you will prompt you when He is grieved, don’t ignore Him. Be a living testimony, it is the least we can do after all our Lord has done for us. (Romans 12:1-2, Ephesians 4:30)
Our entire lives belong to Christ Jesus. Everything we have is His and meant to be used to advance His kingdom. We were saved to bring Him glory. He has gone to prepare a place for us and He has promised to return one day. May our Lord come back and find us diligently doing our Father’s work so that we can all hear Him say, “Well done good and faithful servant!”
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