Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the Kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. Luke 12:32-33
“The tangible resources of God’s Kingdom have been placed at our disposal. We have the privilege of investing those resources–not just our money, but our time, possessions, ideas, relationships, skills, spiritual gifts, and so forth–to produce positive results for the Kingdom. The progress of God’s work depends to some extent upon how we utilize the ample resources that He has entrusted to us. You are, in effect, a portfolio manager for the Kingdom of God…
God has given you the checkbook and told you to invest it in whatever ways will bring about the best outcomes for His glory and purposes. And, of course, you will be evaluated for how wisely you invested those resources. It has often been said that you can tell a person’s priorities by examining his or her checkbook. If someone were to examine your checkbook–as well as your schedule and personal goals–what message would he or she receive?”
Frank Viola and George Barna in Pagan Christianity?: Exploring the Roots of our Church Practices (Carol Stream: Tyndale, 2008) 257-258.
“Portfolio Manager” is great word picture for our role in investing God’s resources. I wrote a one-page article called “Spiritual Formation and Stewardship” back in 2006. It includes a “Stewardship Portfolio” that may be helpful for you to maximize your stewardship of the gifts and goods that God has entrusted to you. Click here to read or download it. Feel free to share it with others as well. The goal is that our actions send the message that we are faithful and generous portfolio managers for God.