Chapter 24
HIS RESOURCES FOR YOUR SERVICE
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others.
1 PETER 4:10 NIV
229 Stealing from God
I’m a thief. I admit it. I’ve taken what doesn’t belong to me. I’ve used it for my selfish purposes. Don’t panic! Don’t double-check your home security system. You need not feel for your wallet to protect yourself against me.
A venomous snake is more likely to bite you and lightning strike you simultaneously than I am to take anything that belongs to you. But taking what belongs to God—that’s another story. How so?
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.
Therefore honor God with your bodies” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20 NIV).
I’ve stolen God-given time, abilities, money, and energy. I’ve used them in ways God never intended. I’m fairly sure you have too. You naturally have an almost irresistible urge. It’s taking what belongs to God, your body, and using it for your purposes.
There’s another more subtle more serious stealing from God. I’m not proud to share it. I’ve stolen God’s glory also.
I’ve taken credit for God’s work through me— good sermon, preacher! I’ve not always given credit where it’s due.
I’ve repeated the sin of Moses and Aaron. They produced water for the Israelites out of a rock in the wilderness. Then they took personal credit for God’s miracle (Numbers 20:10).
Stealing God’s glory isn’t a small infraction. "I’m the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols” (Isaiah 42:8 NIV). I’m trying to change my thieving ways. How about you?
How will you honor God with your body today? Read 2 Peter 2.
230 Biblical Stewardship’s Foundation
Antiques Roadshow features people who have purchased objects worth thousands of dollars for a few bucks. Paul describes the best of all deals in 2 Corinthians 5:14–21.
Jesus sacrificed His life to delete your sins and credit His righteousness to your account. Both transactions are essential. The value of His sacrifice is beyond calculation (1 Peter 1:18–19 NIV).
God’s deal is the best you’ll ever get. A trillion dollars for your used toilet paper would pale in comparison.
You don’t deserve this greatest of all deals. No one does. Gratitude is the foundation of biblical whole-life stewardship. It’s the only gushing spring from which wholehearted, whole-life stewardship can flow indefinitely.
Jesus asks for something in return for rescuing you from death, judgment, and flames. He has given you the ministry of reconciliation.
Turning God’s enemies into His friends is what you do. Faithful whole-life stewardship is how you do it.
You were once God’s enemy. Sin was a Mount Everest barrier between God and you.
You were guilty of treason. You rebelled against your Creator and the Captain of your ship. You insisted on living for yourself rather than for Him.
By the cross, God reconciled you to Himself and removed that Mount Everest barrier. He unloaded the Mount Manure of your sins on Jesus on the cross. Its peak soared far above the clouds.
God credits His righteousness to your account. God’s undeserved favor through faith reconciled you to Him. He has recruited you to join Him to reconcile other rebels and to build them up in the faith to reconcile still others and build them up.
How should you then live? Like one God has pulled from the flames. Let gratitude to your Rescuer unendingly fill the sails of your life.
Make Him your organizing center every day. Use all the resources He has given you for His glory. You’re not your own. Jesus bought you with a price (1 Corinthians 6:19).
As His steward, you must be faithful (1 Corinthians 4:2). That’s not much to ask considering all He has done for you!
How has gratitude powered your stewardship? Read 2 Peter 3.
231 Some Assembly Required
You put together things that arrive in cardboard boxes. Then, they become usable. You also own tools that can do far more than you ask of them.
I use less than five percent of Microsoft Office’s potential. I periodically get updates about new functions it can perform. I don’t use 95 percent of what it can already do!
Some assembly required applies to spiritual gifts. Your effort and attitude affect whether God’s gift in you will function fully.
If you don’t develop or are afraid to use it, it’ll gather dust in a forgotten corner of your life. You won’t make the difference you could’ve.
The Apostle Paul didn’t want that to happen to his disciple Timothy. He wrote, “Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you” (1 Timothy 4:14 NIV).
Again, he wrote, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:6–7 NIV). Your assignment is to develop and use your gift(s).
Timothy knew God’s gift to him. Do you know yours? He had to overcome his natural fear. He had to fan the glowing coals of the gift into full flame.
If you’re following Jesus, you’ve at least one spiritual gift. “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10 NIV).
It takes time and effort to discover and develop it. Whatever your gift, you must depend on God’s power, love, and self-discipline so it bears its intended fruit.
Why is it easier to neglect our spiritual gifts than to develop them?
Read 1 John 1.
232 Your World-Changing Skills
Your skills determine your usefulness. In February 2006, I was part of a Swatara Church of God ministry team. We went to Mississippi to work on houses Hurricane Katrina had damaged.
I contributed but would’ve been more valuable with my brother Sam’s construction skills. I wanted to help. But good intentions are a poor substitute for practical abilities.
Solomon was preparing to build the temple. He knew the Sidonians could cut down trees far better than the Israelites.
He asked Hiram, king of Tyre, for help. “So give orders that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. My men will work with yours, and I will pay you for your men whatever wages you set. You know that we have no one so skilled in felling timber as the Sidonians” (1 Kings 5:6 NIV).
To oversee the construction of the Tabernacle God chose Bezalel. He filled him with His Spirit, wisdom, competence, and multiple skills.
He also appointed Oholiab to help him. He enabled skilled workers to construct the Tabernacle as He intended (Exodus 31:2–6).
God gives you a passion to develop your skills. He uses them to serve others through you.
Initially, you often don’t know how He’ll use your abilities. You never know the full extent of your influence on this side of eternity.
About 1985 I wanted to learn to type. That’s how I justified purchasing a computer.
God had something bigger in mind—an eventual writing ministry. Now I provide free Christian internet resources to believers in developed and developing countries.
What skills do you have that God can use to build His Kingdom? What additional skills can you develop? Read 1 John 2.
233 How to Give Diamonds
At Christmas time you don’t give everyone diamonds as gifts. You can’t afford it. You give presents of lesser value. Or do you?
The best gift is 24/7, self-sacrificing love that shimmers, twinkles, and sparkles as it blesses others in a thousand ways. One form of this supernatural giving is superior. How so?
God has given you one or more gifts to build up the body of Christ in love. These are your chief spiritual resources. "From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work" (Ephesians 4:16 NIV).
You have assigned work. I can bless Christ's body, and the church, by cleaning tables or helping in the kitchen. I can teach a class or visit the homebound.
But I bless it and build it up in love best by using the spiritual gift(s) God gave me. My chief gift is writing to explain and apply spiritual truths to benefit others.
What’s your chief gift? If you don’t know, I recommend taking a spiritual gifts inventory. Spiritual Gifts | FREE Spiritual Gifts Survey | Assessment, Analysis, Test
Then, through trial and error, identify and give your best gift(s). Give diamonds! Don't settle for less!
What’s your chief spiritual gift? Read 1 John 3.
234 Stone in Your Shoe
A pebble in your shoe makes you adjust your stride instantly. You remove the irritant as soon as possible.
God places stones in your shoes to change your stride. They’re not easily removed. He wants your attention.
He’s not happy about how you’ve been walking! His stones motivate you through pain to consider changing how you live.
Jonah’s stone was a storm and a huge fish (Jonah 1:4, 17). The Apostle Paul’s irritant was blindness (Acts 9:8).
The Apostle Peter’s was a rebuke from the Apostle Paul (Galatians 2:11). Israel’s stone was exile to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness to God (1 Chronicles 9:1).
Nebuchadnezzar’s was madness because of his pride (Daniel 4).
God uses accidents, illnesses, jail sentences, and various problems to get your attention. He’s turning you back to the narrow way that leads to life (Matthew 7:13–14).
You’ve heard God’s whispering in your pain and changed how you live. His stone got your attention.
God uses stones to prepare you for future assignments. The message He wants to deliver through you is ready. But you aren’t yet equipped to communicate it!
At twenty-one, I wouldn’t have written the same blog posts as at 70. An assortment of stones significantly shaped me.
God might allow you to lose a job because He’s sending you in a new direction. He lets you feel physical or emotional pain.
They soften your heart so you’re more compassionate toward others. God puts stones in your shoes to make you more like Jesus.
How have God’s stones made you more like Jesus? Read 1 John 4.
235 Managing Your Resources (1)
Stewardship is glorifying God with your entire life. Everything you have you’ve received from Him (1 Corinthians 4:7).
Faithful stewards manage their resources to benefit God and others. Everything you do is to bring glory to God, not yourself (1 Corinthians 10:31).
God expects your life to overflow with thankfulness (Colossians 2:7). His gracious work is invisible to the self-absorbed.
To the admiring worshipper, it’s everywhere. Words of thanksgiving should flow from your lips as you observe God’s abundant goodness.
“Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song” (Psalm 95:2). Giving thanks in all circumstances glorifies Him.
It shows you trust him even when you don’t understand His actions or timing. (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Review each day at its conclusion and give thanks for at least five blessings.
You’ll have to explain your use of the talents and spiritual gifts God has given you. Your ministry is either serving God or equipping His servants (Ephesians 4:11–12).
You’ve at least one gift to use to minister to others (1 Peter 4:10). Equippers help you discover your spiritual gifts, temperament, and spiritual passion.
They assist in deploying them in fruitful ministry. Search “Church Effectiveness Nuggets: Volume 24” for a spiritual gifts inventory.
You’ll have to give an account of how you use your time. “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time” (Colossians 4:5).
You use your time wisely when you overcome what isn’t like Christ in you, love God with all your being, and love your neighbor as yourself.
Are you taking advantage of church-provided opportunities to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ?
What daily time slot do you devote to God’s word and prayer?
How are you seeking first God’s kingdom and righteousness?
Your resources include your
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Body
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Training
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Positions
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Skills
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Wisdom
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The Holy Spirit
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God’s word
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Family
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Possessions
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Influence
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Knowledge
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Words
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Relationships
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Freedom.
Make God the pie plate of your life, not just a single slice of pie. All of life, not just part of it, is to glorify Him.
How are you using your resources to bring God glory? Read 1 John 5.
236 Managing Your Resources (2)
You’re a steward of your unique spiritual story. It’s an effective way to share your faith with others.
Think about it. Boil it down. Be able to share it in about three minutes. Explain your values before you met Christ, how you came to know Him, and the difference He has made.
You’ll have to explain how you used the earth’s natural resources. The Earth and everything in it belongs to God (Psalm 24:1). He created it to glorify Himself (Psalm 19:1–6). He values it.
Loving God includes loving what He loves. Earth stewardship is part of loving your neighbor as yourself. How can you minimize your energy footprint and pollution?
You’ll have to give an account of how you promote oneness with other believers. The “one another” and “each other” of Scripture direct those relationships.
They include washing one another’s feet (John 13:14); loving one another (John 13:34–35); and being devoted to one another (Romans 12:10).
Honoring one another above yourself (Romans 12:10); living in harmony with one another (Romans 12:16); and stopping passing judgment on one another (Romans 14:13).
Accepting one another as Christ accepted you (Romans 15:7); instructing one another (Romans 15:14); and agreeing with one another (1 Corinthians 1:10).
Serving one another in love (Galatians 5:13); being kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32); and forgiving each other as God in Christ forgave you (Ephesians 4:32).
Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19); submitting to one another (Ephesians 5:21); and bearing with each other (Colossians 3:13).
Teaching and admonishing one another (Colossians 3:16); encouraging one another and building each other up (1 Thessalonians 5:11); and spurring one another on to love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24).
You’ll have to give an account of how you use your material resources. Material resources can further God’s kingdom now and after you die. You can do good through your will.
Have you discovered the joy of generosity? People need your help. Jesus affirmed that one who gains the entire world but loses his soul loses (Mark 8:36). Use your money wisely. It’s a wonderful servant but a terrible master.
What “one another” or “each other” command most needs your attention today? Read 2 John.
237 Do You See What I See?
Vision is bigger than the view from your window. I see the potential to help people far beyond the horizon. I’m doing that by using the writing gift God has given me.
It’s exciting, humbling, and fulfilling. I’ve strengthened and encouraged people I’ll never personally meet on Earth.
Blogs I posted and boosted on Facebook in the Philippines, various African nations, and India have reached more than 50 million people. More than five million people have engaged with them.
More than 40,000 people have shared it with their Facebook friends. I estimate that those shares have reached more than ten million additional people.
Do you see what I see? Do you envision the potential for God to use you to help people you may never meet on earth? You can touch more people than you can imagine.
You can do it by second order and third order influence. In Jesus’ name, you can strengthen, equip, and motivate people.
They in turn will help others who will help others. It can start with sharing a listening ear and encouraging words with a hurting person today.
“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7 NIV).
God gifts you to do your part to make His worldwide church strong. May your vision surpass what you can do in your immediate neighborhood!
How can God use you to bless people you may never meet through second, third, and fourth-order influence? Read 3 John.
238 Far-Away Heart Trouble
I was a half-hearted service salesperson at a Pennsylvania Turnpike Gulf station. I worked there about 50 years ago.
My primary responsibility was to sell tires, batteries, oil changes, and accessories. Our best salespeople either intentionally deceived customers or didn’t take “no” for an answer. Neither tactic appealed to me. I sold enough to remain employed.
By contrast, consider my first day as a summer helper for the Pennsylvania Fish Commission. I helped remove half-decomposed, world-class stinky snapping turtle carcasses from trap nets.
Imagine the stench. Multiply it by ten! I did it wholeheartedly. I was fully devoted to becoming an aquatic biologist.
I’ve spent too many days as a half-hearted follower of Jesus. I don’t want to live that way anymore. I want to be like David.
He made his share of mistakes. But he was fully devoted to the LORD his God (1 Kings 11:4; 15:3).
In the North American church, spiritual apathy is widespread. The people in the pews are enthusiastic about something. However, most aren’t excited about their relationship with God.
Blahs-ianity is passionate spirituality’s chief competitor. Half-hearted Christians might do and say “right things” but without passion. That angers God. “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Matthew 15:8 NIV).
Far-away hearts launch rote prayers. They sing during worship services unthinkingly. They minister to others to receive recognition.
They use positions in the church for personal power. They have years of perfect Sunday school attendance but don’t apply anything they hear.
They possess a 1–2-hour per week Christian commitment. Given all God has done for you, He deserves better than that!
When have you been a half-hearted Christian? What steps can you take to give God what He deserves? Read Jude.
239 Guiding Little Hands
My grandson completed the math homework. He just had to sign his name and the date at the top of the page. He did both—three times faster than his grandfather would have. It showed.
I could hardly read either one. To his credit, he wrote the correct year.
His grandpa often messes that up the first few days of every new year! On the other hand, the “nine” on his paper looked like a victim of a head-on collision with an 18-wheeler.
I asked him to erase his name and the date. Then I asked him to write them more clearly. He did a much better job on the second attempt.
It’s not about being perfect. I’ve struggled with that for much of my life. I’ve taken great pains and given them to others!
Underneath is often the perceived need to be perfect, so others love me. Such motivation is self-centered.
So, why should you do your best? “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23–24 NIV).
Yes, the Lord rewards you for doing your best in everything for Him. However, the reward shouldn’t be your primary motivation. Instead, it’s overflowing gratitude for all He’s done for you (Colossians 2:7).
You guide little hands to do their best for the Master by doing your best for Him!
What little eyes are taking hints from you about what life on earth is about? Are they clearly seeing your gratitude to God? Read Revelation 1.