I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion. Proverbs 8:12
“As the Bible teaches clearly, God is the only Owner of all resources and we are stewards or managers of what He has endowed us. So, how we steward becomes a holy responsibility before our sovereign and generous Lord. In gratitude for this privilege, I encourage people to choose prudence in managing God’s resources in every area of LIFE — labor, influence, finances, and expertise.
Prudence in relationship to our labor means we that we spend ourselves and our time strategically as unto the Lord (see Colossians 3:23), while weighing the impact of our efforts on our health and family. The extremes get us into trouble. Overworking can lead to physical problems, and laziness leads to ruin (see Proverbs 21:25).
Prudence associated with our influence means that we leverage our relationships to advance God’s purposes. We don’t do this to manipulate people or to control circumstances. We do it as humble stewards who simply acknowledge that “for such a time as this” God, perhaps, has put us in a place to make a difference for Him (see Esther 4:14).
Prudence with finances, as I have said, calls us to resist cultural and social pressures and pursue contentment and practice minimalism so we have margin for enjoyment and generosity (see 1 Timothy 6:17-19)…
Lastly, prudence with regard to expertise means that we discern the unique contribution God has equipped us to make in the various circles in which we move. We use the gift that God has given us to serve others (see 1 Peter 4:10-11).”
Sung Wook Chung in his three-page essay “What does it mean to be prudent in relationship to money?” in Purposeful Living: Financial Wisdom for All of Life compiled and edited by Gary G. Hoag and Tim Macready (Rhodes, NSW: Christian Super, 2018) 88-90. Click on the title to download this free ebook from the Global Generosity Roundtable 2018.
Today’s post, brings our current theme of “gratitude” into view with another quote from the ebook I helped compile and edit. I hope all Daily Meditations readers will download freely at the link above. Feel free to also share it with others. In his essay, Chung combines gratitude with a profound idea from wisdom literature: prudence.
Reflect today on what message your stewardship of LIFE — labor, influence, finances, and expertise — sends to those around you, but more importantly, to our sovereign and generous Lord. Do you exhibit gratitude for the privilege of serving as a steward? What about prudence? To live with gratitude and prudence means you take your stewardship of LIFE seriously by combining knowledge with discretion. In modern times, we call it living with intentionality. You know what to do and how to do it because you base your decisions not on worldly thinking but on biblical wisdom, which tends to teach the opposite of what the world says to do.
Father, by your Holy Spirit, help me exhibit gratitude and prudence in every aspect of LIFE. Show me where I have room for growth so that others see You through my labor, influence, finances, and expertise. Hear my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.