The Ignite South Africa coaches. Photo by Ignite South Africa.
This month I had the opportunity to speak to a dozen youth coaches that teach grades 7-9 on how to dream big, live with a purpose, safe sex, and speaking up and living out the gospel. These people have testimonies far beyond anything the general American public society could ever relate to. Their job is to travel from school to school teaching classrooms of 40-60 roudy kids ranging in ages of 12-18.
Definition of Stewardship: Stewardship is living a lifestyle based upon an understanding of God's provision in all areas. This will result in giving a portion of everything back to Him and His work through a direct relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ.
Provision: The action of providing or supplying something for use.
When opening the topic of stewardship I read the Parable of the Bags of Gold in Matthew 25:14-30. The passage opens with how a man left on a journey and entrusted 3 servants with his wealth. Stopping there to define the word entrusted for further depth and understanding of what this parable means we are reminded that entrusted is to assign responsibility to someone for something.
Verse 15 states that each man received an amount according to his ability. To the first man five bags of gold, the next two bags of gold and the third one bag of gold. Fun fact here, one bag of gold is the equivalent of about 20 years of a day laborer's wage. The first two men immediately went and doubled their master's wealth while the third choose to dig a hole and hide his masters wealth.
The wealth in this parable could easily be perceived as just that – money. Although I think it could be applied to many other aspects of gifts and talents given to each person. Having the ability to experience many different cultures and levels of poverty I have come to further realize just how wealthy people are outside of the aspect of money. Well educated, western or European people are wealthy within their thoughts – in the ability to form our own ideas, opinions and questions. This leads to dreams and desires that many other cultures cannot even fathom because it is difficult to form an idea or opinion of their own. Impoverished people seem to be what they are told. For example the cast we worked with in India was called the “Untouchables” and they lived in just that way because they believed they were untouchable, or un worthy. Our own thoughts can clog our view just as much as the greed of money. With this to say it's no wonder so many of us are never able to “reach our full potential.”
As the parable continues the master returns to settle the accounts with the servants. He is pleased with the response of the first two servants who doubled what it was they were given and he say's to them “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share in your masters happiness.” The master does not give the servants his happiness nor does he keep it from them. He tells each of them to share in his happiness.
Where as with the third man who received one talent the master became furious with. He say's to the servant that the least he could have done is placed it into trusted hands who would have been able to properly care for the precious gift that was given. Specifically he mentions a bank where it would grow interest for when he returned. Rather then what the servant did – placing it into a dark hole not to be seen, and forgotten until the master's return.
God has assigned responsibilities to us in ways that are for us individually. These responsibilities range from talents/gifts, family he has placed in our lives, friends seeking community or wisdom, money or spare time. This is where our thoughts of “we aren't good enough” or those in our lives “aren't worth our time or money.” But what we seem to overlook is that our gifts in whatever ability are given for reason and purpose and we are not to hide them away pretending that we don't actually have it. We are not to hide our family or friends but rather we are to care and nurture those relationships. To learn how to love them appropriately in ways that will grow them. Same goes for the talents and gifts we've been given.
The Lord has placed leadership over me whether I like it or not and as much as I want to run from this and simply fall into the crowd I have been told time and time again that I walk with leadership. Because of this I must accept that this is something I have and use it well. This along with speaking are areas that I have been attempting to give into the hands of the Lord to care for and nurture appropriately. He has given me opportunity after opportunity these past three months to develop more confidence and speaking skills. The opportunities are nothing I have asked for but rather accepted and in accepting them I have raised interest on the investment the Lord placed in me. Within this speaking engagement with the coaches I was asked to fill one hour's time. Up to this point I hadn't been able to fill more then thirty minutes although because of the attention to what was invested I was able to speak for 63 minutes.
Our insecurities and fears should never hinder what the Lord has placed in our lives. Our greed shouldn't get in the way of the abundance the Father has tangibly entrusted into our hands. Our families and friends are not people that are undeserving of our love, attention and time but rather they ARE the people God trusts we will take care of. Large or small, the amount of wealth we have is the amount of opportunities available to us to bless others with. Simply having the self control to not over spend, to not push our limits and “fail” or to not love in order to avoid confrontation are no different then the servant barring his one or bag of gold.
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well' keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what food is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if not accompanied by action is dead.
James 2:14-17
