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
“God expects us to be “trustworthy stewards” of all that belongs to Him. When we ignore that everything belongs to God, squander His resources, or act as if it belongs to us, we are not acting in a trustworthy manner; we are unfaithful stewards. So what does it mean to be a trustworthy steward? …
We act as trustworthy stewards when we use what He’s entrusted to us to serve others…Once we grasp that we are not owners and aren’t supposed to be mere consumers, but stewards, we realize that we are to be conduits of God’s grace to those around us. God never intended for us to receive His grace and gifts and keep them for ourselves; we are to let His grace flow through us to others…
So why do many of us receive God’s grace and gifts but then stop the flow, keeping so much of it to ourselves instead of distributing it to others? One reason: fear. We are afraid that if we give, we won’t have enough. we are afraid the supply will not continue to flow, that it will dry up…
Fear is always a lack of trust. We’re not sure God can be trusted. This fear lies deep within us; in fact, trust is the core issue of life. We want to trust, but fear talks us out of trusting and obeying God. Fear sabotages our desire to be faithful. That’s why God teaches us over and over again about trust…We were made to live in a trusting, wonderful, vibrant dependence on God.”
Jim Mindling in Learn to Breathe: The Surprising Path to a Transformed Life (Bloomington: WestBow, 2014) 228, 234-236.
One of the colleagues who joined me for meetings in Hong Kong was Anjji Gabriel. He believes (like Mindling) that trust is the core issue of the transparent administration of God’s work and a core component for generosity. I will never forget the rhetorical question he asked Christian leaders to consider: “Can God trust you?”
When we live in fear we hold back God’s material blessings rather than serve as a conduit. Alternatively, when our everyday living, giving, serving, and loving is rooted in trust, we hold nothing back because we know the generosity of the One who provided it in the first place. Has fear sabotaged your desire to be faithful? Can God trust you?