The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. Psalm 23:1 NIV
The Lord is my shepherd. I have all that I need. Psalm 23:1 NLT
All of us have control issues. We may not have them in personal relationships as badly as someone else, but our spiritual struggles always come down to trusting Him with the controls of our lives. This shows up in our finances. When we want control, we are saying, “I want to be the owner, the one where the buck stops in my life.” That’s foolish. "He is the owner, I am the steward, I am the manager" is a perspective that relieves the heavy burden of control. When I choose Him as my Owner, my Master, my Shepherd, my time, talents, and resources are not mine to hoard or control. They are entrusted to me by God to manage faithfully, generously, and with purpose.
When I have the heart of a steward/manager, my perspective changes:
- From ownership to management. Everything belongs to Him. I am simply looking after His assets with His plan and desires guiding me (Psalm 24:1).
- From anxiety to freedom from pressure. When I quit thinking like an owner, I no longer must carry the pressure of control, provision, or ultimate outcomes.
- From success to faithfulness. 1 Corinthians 4:2 states that He is the owner, and I am the steward, which is a perspective that relieves the heavy burden of control. It reminds me that my time, talents, and resources are not mine to guard, but are entrusted to me by God to manage faithfully, generously, and with purpose. God doesn’t give you a performance review to fear. He’s not looking at you for “success” in terms of the world. He is looking for faithfulness. He measures you by how well you use what you've been given, not by the size of the results.
God wants to help you use your time, your skills, and your finances with wisdom, radical generosity, and joy. He has given them to manage for Him. What a privilege and responsibility!
- God, how can I manage what You have given me today in a way that truly honors YOU, the real Owner? What do You think when you look at the way I currently manage Your possessions? Your money? Your time? Your skills? Help me honestly evaluate and make the changes Your Holy Spirit speaks to me.