The Good Steward

Romans 12:6-8

6Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy. let us prophecy in proportion to our faith; 7or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8he who exhorts in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

The apostle Paul was addressing the church in Rome about serving God with spiritual gifts. God has placed within each person gifts to be used. Paul spoke of this while talking about the body of Christ and equated the body of Christ to a physical body of a person. Each person has an important role just like each body part you possess. Along with each person having an important role, the gifts God has placed within you have a role as well. Paul specifically talks about serving God with the gifts. Giving back to the one who gave to you shows appreciation. Many equate giving to God with just giving God money. But when God says to serve Him, it goes beyond money. Giving to God means with your time and talent as well. When you love someone, you give. When you appreciate someone you often want to give to them. The parable of the talents which Jesus talked about is often used to display being a good steward of what is given to you. Most only consider the talents as money but if you look deeper and understand that the word talent was used as a lovely play on words demonstrated by Jesus. What is talent? Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines talent as 1)an ancient unit of weight and value 2)the natural endowments of a person 3) a special often creative or artistic aptitude 4)mental power: ability 5) a person of talent. It list synonyms as genius, gift and faculty. Notice most of the definitions do not refer to money. God wants all of you but He wants you with a glad heart. He wants you to enjoy serving Him.


For example, I write, teach, lead, sing, dance, help, exhort( encourage/inspire), etc. I am doing all these things for the Lord either within the walls of the church specifically or doing so to edify the Lord wherever He allows me to go whether it is in your inbox, speaking engagements to encourage others to grow in Him to understand their purpose or on radio, etc, encourage co-workers, people in the elevator, etc . This is not to boast but to show when God blesses you, He wants you to bless Him by sharing with others and making Him the focal point as much as possible. As my pastor says, "It's not about you or me but it's about Him."  Many people say, "you have a lot of gifts." The more God gives you, the more you are expected to give out. And if you understand the parable Jesus gave on the talents in Matthew 25, then you will understand that God gives even more gifts to the one who makes good use of what He has already distributed. Are you a good steward? Are you using your gifts or did you bury them in the ground? Are you serving God with your gifts?

P.S. You should already have your invite for the November 10th book signing event at Barnes & Noble in Baltimore, MD for my newest book, Shh Don't Tell.