The Truth About Right Living - A Personal Observation

The significance of being a good steward was backed up by Christ as He taught others about the importance of being trustworthy. In Matthew 25:14-30 and again in Luke 19:11-27, He shared the same parable about three servants who had been entrusted with another man's money. Each was expected to put that money to work and then to have some kind of gain to present upon the man's return. The servants were not given the same amount, but they also were not expected to bring back the same return! However, each was expected to do something, and each was expected to return something. The same is true for each of us. While God has not given exactly the same measure to all, He has given something to everyone, and He does expect a reasonable return on His investment.

In ordering my own life, I have tried to apply each of the above three principles for right living. In the process, I have made numerous individual choices which have been based entirely on the three. For example, I have determined, first of all, to love the Lord with all my heart, mind, and soul, as best as I am able, and to love my neighbor as myself. These two objectives combine to make up my number one priority. Second, because I do love God and do desire to put Him first in my life, I have also chosen to trust Him completely to take care of me and to meet my needs. I face each day with the realization that He is my Lord and that I must look to Him for those things which I require. However, my Christian walk does not stop there!

To satisfy this important requirement of caregiver, I have also tried to apply my own rules for good stewardship so that I might more fully glorify the Lord in all aspects of my life. If there are areas in my life which require attention, then I want to be diligent and responsive to each. For that reason, I have attempted, with the Lord's help, to define for my own understanding what stewardship really means to me. As I have already stated, I do not want to live my whole life doing one thing or even a series of things, only to die and learn from the Lord after it is too late that He actually wanted me somewhere else, doing something else. My intent, therefore, is to get it right the first time and to not be caught off guard or out of position! In accordance with such a lofty objective, as well as to enhance my own understanding, I have subdivided stewardship into four different categories, and my goal is to be a faithful caregiver to and over each. These four categories are as follows:

My opinion is that the Lord has given most of us these same four areas around which we can and should organize our life.

The first area is "care for self." In I Corinthians 6:19-20, the Apostle Paul taught that our body is not our own but that it has been bought by God for a price. Actually, it was a rather high price. This Apostle, as can be seen from Verse Seventeen of that same chapter, was writing exclusively to Christians, and he was teaching them to live a life which would glorify God. But to put that admonition another way, he was also writing that they should tend to matters of self and be wise about the care of their body, since it belongs to God and also houses the Holy Spirit.

In this particular reference, Paul was endorsing a carefully controlled, spiritual walk before the Lord, one where each individual would pay very close attention to how he or she might use or abuse their body. How does one properly regard their body and be a good steward? To me, four aspects of this human existence, as they relate to this idea of "care for self," quickly come to mind, and each requires almost constant monitoring. They are the spiritual heart, the mind, the soul, and the physical body. See Table 4.

The spiritual heart relates to the spiritual condition of the heart, meaning that all individuals should have the right kind of heart before the Lord. Certainly, the bigger, more important part of this would be to receive Christ as Saviour if that decision has not yet been made. After that, another would be to keep oneself clean and spotless in a dirty world. A good steward does not expose him or herself to situations which might corrupt the heart. Conversely, a good steward does expose him or herself to situations which could bring an even closer walk with the Lord. For example, a person would probably benefit by not attending certain forms of unclean entertainment, while that same person would most likely profit from regular Bible study and church attendance. A proper objective, therefore, as good stewards would be to do those things which bring maximum profit to our spiritual well-being but to refrain from those which might harm us or only bring minimal gain.

Next, under the realm of caring for self, is paying attention to the mind. This, in my opinion, means that a person should strive to develop their intellect in a way which glorifies and honors the Lord. A person with a high capacity for learning glorifies and honors the Lord by exercising that ability and learning much, but the person who may not possess the same capacity for acquiring knowledge can still glorify and honor the Lord just by consistently doing their best. God does not call everyone to be a scholar, nor should everyone have to feel this kind of pressure unnecessarily.

When I was young, I had felt many forces trying to steer me towards an academic lifestyle. Obviously, a very successful Seventh Grade Aptitude Test had probably had much to do with that! Today, I think that many young people might feel pushed in the same way, but in my mind, this form of pressure should not be! The important thing in this life is not to get a fabulous education, great job, or to make a lot of money. To the contrary, the important thing and also that which brings the greatest joy and happiness is to understand and pursue God's will for your life.

If the Lord is calling a young person to a life of poverty on some remote mission field, then that person would be better off in that job than as president of a major corporation. Yet, the other side of this argument is also true. If the Lord is leading a young individual into a particular field where high salary and great responsibility are part of the task, then that individual would be better off pursuing that path than trying to be a missionary on some distant mission field. Remember that the important thing in this life is to be a good steward of your life!

Concerning the care of your mind, learn what the Lord wants you to learn, and serve where and how He wants you to serve! This approach to life probably sounds too simple, yet like so many of the other simplistic principles which have been presented, this is one which really works, too!

Third on my list in caring for self is the care of one's soul. My idea of paying the proper attention to this area of a person's life is to regularly monitor individual spiritual growth. According to the Gospel of John, Chapter Three, when an individual first comes to Christ, he or she, spiritually speaking, is like a little baby. In many ways, the young Christian even behaves as an infant, often stumbling and needing help in some very basic ways. But over time, the newborn child of God should grow spiritually and become more like Christ. In I Corinthians 13:11, the Apostle Paul wrote about putting away childish things. In Romans 8:29, he wrote about being conformed to the image of Christ. In I Corinthians 3:1-3, he wrote about being able to handle the meat of the Word, like an adult who is no longer satisfied with just milk.

All of these passages, plus a few more, teach that the Christian walk is a spiritual growing process. Therefore, as a good steward, one should regularly monitor his or her spiritual growth by asking some basic, yet probing questions. For example,

These are just a few of the questions which a person might periodically ask in order to monitor the care of their soul and to keep a tab on the quality of their Christian walk.

The final element on my list for being a good steward of self is for an individual to watch over the welfare of his or her physical body. In our society, many have carried this admonition to the extreme. Some are obsessed by diet, others by exercise, while still others are obsessed either with both or neither! To me, the question in this matter is simple. What should a spiritual person do? In I Timothy 4:8, the Apostle Paul wrote that one only profits a little from bodily exercise. Yet, an earlier reference to I Corinthians 6:19 stated that the body of the Christian is not his or her own, that it belongs to God and houses the Holy Spirit. If the first reference is true, then caring for the physical body does not profit very much. Yet if the last reference is true, then one should not take lightly the care of the body, thus bringing us back to the original question. What does a spiritual person do?

Since both verses are true, the correct answer to this question, in my mind, is something that I would describe as "reasonable care." I recognize that even under the best of circumstances that my physical body will only survive between seventy and one hundred years. I know that I live in a physical structure which was not meant to and will not last forever. Therefore, being excessive in either right diet or bodily exercise is not wise because I then make myself guilty of devoting too much attention to an area of life which will someday cease to be. This type of extreme behavior would not be striving to live equally well on both sides of the grave!

To me, it is much more prudent to be realistic about our mortality and then to strive to do that which is reasonable concerning diet and exercise. Eventually, the young grows old, the strong, hard body becomes weak and soft, and the signs of youth disappear. These are the real facts of life and death, and to ignore them or to become overly obsessed with trying to undo them is the plight of the dreamer. Besides that, obsessive behavior on either side of this area of care giving is not the mark of a good steward!

Now, we move to the next area of individual stewardship, and this is the "care of one's family." If the Lord has given someone a spouse, and blessed that union either with or without children, then my feeling is that that person, in addition to being required to be a good steward of self, is also expected to be a good steward over that household. What does it mean to be a good steward of one's family? To me, the answer takes two forms - one physical, one spiritual. The physical has to do with meeting the physical needs of the family, plus the training of one's children for their future. The spiritual pertains to the closing of the sin gap, also to the family's spiritual growth and maturity.

In I Timothy 5:8, the Apostle Paul wrote that a man should earn a living and take care of his family. This is the physical part of caring for one's family, and its meaning is clear. The more important part, however, is that which addresses the family's spiritual needs, and perhaps, this one is not so clear. Jesus was sent to earth to die the cruel death of the cross, and the reason was so that He could be our Sacrifice and make a way for our sin gap with God to be removed.

According to Scriptures, God's plan is that all should have their sin gap closed, not just a few. This means that whole families should be living for the Lord, not just one or two family members. As a good steward of one's family, an individual should first strive to bring all those in the family to Christ. After that, the second important spiritual need within the family pertains to spiritual growth and maturity! Parents need to disciple their children and teach them how to live for the Lord, thus demonstrating their own understanding that being prepared for the other side of the grave is more important than being prepared for this side. Parents need to realize that no matter what they or their children might achieve in this life, the time will come when it will all be left behind!

In trying to be a good steward of one's family, the spiritual side is far more important than the physical. By now, that should be obvious! But both sides are important, and both have their places. From all that has been said, one might conclude that getting a good education, having a nice job or career, and making a lot of money are bad things, but this conclusion is not correct, either! It is true that a person should always put Christ first. Yet, one should also work hard and do their best in this life, too, and this is where balance becomes so important. There is a time when parents should train their children to serve the Lord. There is also a time when they should train them on, or at least help them to learn, how to make a living. The two, if done correctly, can and should overlap.

Being a good steward, as has already been seen, involves responsible behavior concerning oneself and also in the overseeing and care of one's family. The third area of concern for that person who desires to be a good steward is a "care for others." Like one's care for family, this area also has a physical and spiritual side. How does one be a good steward over others? How can someone be a good steward of his or her neighbor?

In James 2:1-9, the author says that showing favoritism to one person over another is not loving one's neighbors as oneself. In James 2:15-16, he states that not caring for their physical needs as we are able is also not loving that one as we should. And based on the Ten Commandments, committing certain acts against our neighbor is not being a good steward to others, either. According to these clear, unambiguous passages, each of us is required to take an active role in befriending and helping one another. In God's economy, there is not any prejudice, none at all! A person simply cannot exhibit the love of Christ and, at the same time, be tearing down or hurting another. My opinion is that most of us fall short in this particular aspect of stewardship, and this is, of course, addressing the physical side.

But what about the spiritual side? The answer to that question comes from a sentiment expressed earlier about the care of one's family. Nothing in this life is any more important than closing the sin gap with God. For that person who has already done that, not much should be more important than leading others to the same position in Christ. If God has placed each of us on a different rung of life's career ladder and if different people are at that level who can view us, then our duties of stewardship to others should rightfully begin there. A large part of any believer's role in this life, in my opinion, is to show those around him or her how to come to and live for the Lord. In this sense, we truly are our neighbor's keeper, and in Proverbs 11:30, the writer complemented that thought by saying that the wise person will bring others to Christ.

So then, to be a good steward of others, one's care must be genuine, not superficial or phony. We must make ourselves somewhat unconditionally available to all, ready to help, as we are able, whenever a true physical need arises. We should be friendly and gracious to everyone, and never should one who embraces Christ reject or be unkind to another. Finally, we should be ready to share our hope in the Gospel of Jesus Christ with those around us.

Being a good steward to others and loving others as oneself is very difficult, yet it is also very important. Furthermore, when we fail, our failures are very apparent. One who treats people wrongly is soon discovered! Those who turn their back on others in need are also soon found out. Even those who do not share their hope in Christ as they should are soon suspect in the eyes of the unbeliever. Being a good steward of others, of those whom the Lord has placed in our path, does not happen automatically. Yet, with some effort, it can come fairly easily for that individual who truly does love the Lord, then others, above all!

The last area of stewardship is an individual's "care of his or her possessions." The Lord has given us a physical body, and we have a responsibility to care for and develop that body so that it can be used for His honor and glory. The Lord has put certain people in our life, as well as in our path, and those who call on Him have a responsibility to be the right kind of godly person to and before those people. But God has also entrusted us with various possessions, such as homes, automobiles, property, money, and so forth. Even one's time should be included in this list! So, what is one's responsibility as a good steward with respect to these type of items?

To me, the answer is obvious, and I doubt that many could or would disagree, in principle. People who have put their faith in Christ and who have learned to love the Lord with all their heart, mind, and soul do not have any spiritual justification for trying to hoard the things of this world! As is taught in I Timothy 6:10, a love of money causes one to err from the Faith. Ecclesiastes 5:10 states that one can never find or have enough wealth to be happy. The Bible frequently warns against an unhealthy attraction for money and things, yet at the same time, money and things, if used correctly and spiritually, can be a tremendous resource.

To be a good steward with one's possessions, my feeling is that a person must be exceptionally attentive to all matters of financial management. First, a good steward should responsibly dispose of all of his or her financial matters - past, present, and future. Good stewards pay their debts and handle their finances honorably. Next, a good steward should not become too encumbered by the drawing power of the things of this world. Then, third and most importantly, a good steward should learn to see all of his or her possessions, including time, as potential resources for the Lord.

In my opinion, stewardship includes many areas of one's life, yet as I study Scriptures, I am convinced that trying to be a good steward does not have any impact on our standing with God or on our position in Christ. We should not attend to any of these different areas of stewardship so that we can keep what we already have in the Lord. We also should not do any of the other things which have been mentioned in this and the other chapters just because we are trying to protect or enhance what we already have in Him. Instead of being a good steward so that we might obtain, we should try to be a good steward because we have already obtained! For me, the conclusion of this whole matter is not very difficult. As good stewards, we should learn to work hard, be diligent, be content, and then, to let the love of Christ dwell in us richly.