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“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” (1 Timothy 6:17, NIV)

Even those of us who will not admit to being “rich,” know we aren’t “poor.”

Such folks are commanded: “Not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth.”

Whether we consider ourselves “rich” or “poor,” gratitude for what we have received; and hope for the future is properly placed only in God, who is the true source of all that we have.

Remember: Worship the Giver, not the gift. – Luther

Tagged faith, gratitude, hope, stewardship, the book of 1 Timothy, wealth

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“Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over.” (Proverbs 3:9-10, The Message)

Do we honor God with everything we own: Our time, our talents, our treasure; the power at our disposal by virtue of our position in life and its prerogatives?

If not, we are operating at a level far below both our potential for blessing the lives of others; and we have restricted the “return” from God to our own lives.

You are what your are; and you have what you have. Begin to give God the first fresh hour of your day, rather than the left-over minutes at its end. Give God a tithe of thanksgiving from the top dollars at the beginning, rather than the pennies that remain after everyone else has taken their due.

These small, but significant, steps lead to a life of usefulness, abundance, and joyful surprise. – Luther

Tagged stewardship, the book of Proverbs

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“He (Job) said, ‘Naked I came from my mother, and naked I will return. The LORD has given, and the LORD has taken away! May the name of the LORD be praised.'” (Job 1:21, God’s Word Translation)

Shame on us if we need to fall as low as Job fell before we begin to comprehend the fact of our “nakedness.”

Everything we acquire during our lifetime is borrowed. Our children: Borrowed. Our health: Borrowed. The air we breath: Borrowed (at a rate of approximately 14 breaths per minute). Even our names are borrowed from others, and shared with other people we’ve not even met (try “Googling” your name and see how many other people there are with the same name!).

We err when we think that we may become owners of anything. On the contrary, many times, “things” own us!

Freedom comes when we begin to view ourselves as stewards of God’s gifts to us — not as owners. As borrowers, rather than keepers.

All of God’s gifts are entrusted to us to risk for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. It is God’s to give; it is God’s to risk; it is God’s to lose; it is God’s to increase for His glory.

We are His agents; channels of His mercy and grace. We only fail when we think of God’s gifts as our own to hoard, or to use for our own benefit. – Luther

Tagged God's gifts, nakedness, stewardship, the book of Job