Day Fourteen: Being Intentional Stewards
Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds, for riches do not last forever; and does a crown endure to all generations? –Proverbs 27:23-24
This Proverb tells us a couple of things about money. First, it will not last forever. Secondly, we shouldn’t let that first truth cause us to neglect being good stewards of what we do have. Our marriages are to be spent for the glory of God. But are we really doing everything we can for God’s glory if we are not being responsible stewards of what God has entrusted to us? Can I really be certain that we are maximizing our resources for the sake of missions if we aren’t being intentional about things like budgeting (knowing the condition of our flocks). We should take careful inventory of all that God has given us, not so that we can amass a personal fortune or even pretend like money will give us security. No, we do this because our possessions don’t last forever and so we use them to further the kingdom which does. Let’s use today to pray that God would help us be intentional stewards of all that he has given us.
Lord, we are grateful that you are sovereign over everything. Every resource we have really belongs to you. We acknowledge that we are but stewards. And we confess that so often we use our possessions for our own kingdom instead of yours. We also confess that at times we are irresponsible with what you’ve given to us. Help us to see the missional reasons for budgeting and taking count of our flock. Help us to maximize every dollar and every resource we have not for our own sake but for the sake of the kingdom. Create in us a deep unity with one another on this front. Amen.
