By Dr. Rebekah McCloud

Last week I talked about abundance and lack and what we can do with the crumbs. So, I know you might have been wondering what it had to do with stewardship. Sometimes we get stewardship twisted; we think it’s about us. It’s not. We are only caregivers of God’s time, talent and treasures.

Do you have a friend who has said, “I can’t give my time to God because I am too busy?” Or, “I got too much to do. I’m overworked, overloaded and overlooked.”

Tell your friend to say, “I’m blessed and highly favored. The Lord is my strength and will allow me to mount up on wings like an eagle. I will run and not grow weary.”

The Bible tells us in Ephesians 5:15 and Colossians 4:5 to make the best use of our time. How can we do that? Surrender it all to God. Surrender all of those things that keep us too busy, over worked and worn out. It’s not our time, it’s his. Surrender all and watch him work. Amen.

Do you have a friend who has said, “I can’t use my talent because nobody asked me?” Or “I can’t do it like so and so does.” Or “God didn’t give me any talent. I can’t sing, dance or play an instrument.”

Tell your friend we all got talent; all God’s children got shoes! Tell your friend to make a joyful noise unto the Lord anyhow. Psalm 98:5 says, “make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praises.”

Remember, talent is a gift from God. Proverbs 18:16 says, “a man’s gifts will make room for him.” How can we make this work, you might ask? We must surrender our doubts and our fears and those voices in our heads that tell us we are not enough. Give them to God and watch him work. It’s not our talent, it’s his. Surrender all! Amen.

Do you have a friend who has said, “I can’t give my treasure to God because I’m broke, busted and behind?” Or asks “What’s that preacher going to do with my money; I only have a few crumbs?”

Tell your friend that the treasure is not ours, it all belongs to God. Matthew 6:19 warns us, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.”

Instead, I believe we should hold our treasures in jars of clay and stand back and watch him work. Let’s wait to be used by the Lord as he transforms us from glory to glory.  Isaiah 6:8 says, “O Lord, you are our Father, we are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand.”

So, what does all of this have to do with stewardship? Sometimes giving our time, talent and treasures back to God is not on our radar. We can’t see how we can make room for it. We are overwhelmed with work, our families, busyness, things, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Many of us see lack rather than abundance. Surrender it all to God and watch him work. The song says:

All to Jesus I surrender

All to him I freely give

I will ever love and trust him

In his presence daily live.

I surrender all

I surrender all

All to thee my blessed savior

I surrender all.

When we surrender all and focus on him, the care we give to God’s time, talent and treasure will be richly, outrageously, stupendously and tremendously blessed. The Bible says that the blessings of God will overtake us if we obey the voice of the Lord. “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard.”

Grace, sometimes we get it twisted.  So, let’s untwist it. Stewardship is not about us. Stewardship is about God. He’s the center of it all. Amen!