Everyone has different amounts of resources to steward in their lives. Some have a great amount that requires portfolios and brokers. Others only have enough resources to survive the day, if that. But I have always found it interesting that no matter how wealthy, connected, or powerful we are, we all have the same amount of time in the day. So we are all equally responsible for being good stewards of it.
Psalm 90:12 says, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” God’s Word has much to say about wisdom and living with our own finitude in view. For the Christian, living wisely must include the realization that all of life is an exercise in stewardship. Just think we will one day give an account for all that we did with all that we had. With much blessing comes much responsibility.
Great leaders in history seemed to know these things. I love to reflect on the wisdom of those who, mindful of the stewardship of life, made a great mark during their time here. As the church in America advances through time, I think about the great artist Michelangelo who rightly observed, “The greatest danger for most of us isn’t that our aim is too high and miss it, but that it is too low, and we reach it.” Working long toward some cherished goal can be challenging. But think of Christopher Columbus who knew, “You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.”
Life, especially for the Christian, is a great adventure in faith. And that means trusting God no matter the challenges. Just because we are serving the Lord does not mean we will not face struggles, periods of disappointment, and times to simply wait, pray, and trust. The seasons of waiting are not necessarily days wasted. Babe Ruth once said, “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.” One of my heroes of history, Winston Churchill, knew, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.” Indeed!
The work of the church may not be easy, but it is fairly simple. We are to make time for prayer, we are to expose lost sinners to the gospel, we are to love each other, we are to use our spiritual gifts “for the edifying of the body” (Eph. 4:12). Daniel 11:32 says, “…The people who know their God will be strong, and do exploits” (literally “take action”). May God favor the American church with a great year in 2016 and beyond! This begins with each Christian understanding that time and opportunities are gifts entrusted to us by Him.
