Steward part 2
A steward takes care of what he's been given charge over, right? A good and faithful servant multiplying his master's investment. Well, when we're talking about the family business, we're talking about love. When we're talking about what we've been given charge over, we're talking about love. Its all about love. God IS love. That's not just what He does, that's who He is. That's what He does BECAUSE that's who He is. And that's who we are. Because Jesus is our true identity--God in the flesh, love in a body. God in our flesh, love in our body. He has given us everything He has and everything He is. And we are called to be stewards. To take care of what He's given us. But we don't take care of it by hiding it away. Or hording it. We take care of love by giving it away. Because love IS giving. Giving everything you have and everything you are is my personal definition of love. Laying your life down for your friends. Giving what you've got. Which you can only do by knowing what you've got. Look at 1 Peter 4:2, "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifest grace of God." As you've received... give. Receiving and releasing. That's the Divine Order of things. Knowing and believing. Because you can't believe something you don't know. You can't give what you don't have. And you can only give what you do have. We have been given the manifest grace of God. We have been given the forgiveness of God. The mercy of God. The love of God! As you've received it... minister it. If you know it, throw it. Give what you've got. Because love IS giving! Being a steward isn't about going into business for yourself, or by yourself. Being a steward is about taking care of what you've been entrusted with. The word "stewards" in our verse in 1 Peter is number 3623 in Strong's Greek Concordance and it means, "A house distributor (that is, manager), or overseer, that is, an employee in that capaticy; by extension a fiscal agent (treasurer); figuratively a preacher (of the Gospel)." We have been given the Gospel--the good news that God is love and He loves you--and now we can preach that Gospel. And you've probably heard the old phrase, "Preach the Gospel at all times, and if you have to... use words." Because the Gospel is love. And love isn't always about talking. Charity is love in action. Putting your money where your mouth is. Where the rubber meets the road. Giving people what they need. Seeing a need and meeting it. BEING what people need. Being there for people. That's what Jesus was (and is) for us. That's what the Holy Spirit is, the Comforter. The Spirit of Truth that leads and guides us into all truth. The truth that, again, God is love and He loves you. We don't have to manufacture that love. We don't have to produce that love. God has given us that love. All we have to do is take care of it. By receiving it and releasing it. Letting what's inside come out by knowing and believing that its in there. Multiplying the investment by taking what we've got and making it grow... by giving it away. By sharing it. And that, by the way, is how we experience and enjoy it. So... win win!