stew·ard2 manage or look after.
Sometimes I dread the annual "stewardship" sermon at church. My heart starts to pound. I wonder if the pastor is talking directly to me. I question whether my weekly tithe is enough? I wonder, am I truly honoring God with the amount I am giving?
Today I looked up the definition of what the verb steward really means. To Manage or look after.
Money is always a controversial conversation. How much do we need to survive? How much should we save? How much should we donate?
Yesterday I witnessed the most amazing act. A friend of mine, of the advanced age of 13 years, came to our local homework huddle at a local apartment complex with his brother. This is a servant hearted kid who has participated in our Backyard Bible Clubs for the last 4 years, he was part of our Leaders in Training Program, and has applied again this year. This young man went out for track at his local middle school this year with encouragement and some of the supplies like shorts, t-shirts and running shoes provided by some generous donors.
What you don't see on the outside is that his rent is 1 1/2 months past due. His electricity was turned off about an hour before he arrived at homework huddle because his mom didn't have the money to pay it. What you don't see from the outside is that his refrigerator is pretty bare most of the time and there is always food insecurity.
As we were wrapping up homework huddle he asked if he and his brother could run across the street to the Quik Trip and grab something to eat. His mom had given him $10, in between working all day and coming home for an hour and going to work a temp job overnight. My 13 year old friend headed off with his brother. When he got back he asked if I had ever seen or helped a homeless person? I told him that yes I had. He proceeded to tell me that on the way over to the QT, he and his brother passed a homeless man and his dog hiding behind the dumpster. He headed into the QT and he and his brother each bought a hotdog, and he decided not to get drinks because he wanted to get a couple hot dogs for the homeless man.
Here is a 13 year old boy, going home to no lights, no electronics, no mom. Here is a 13 year old boy with only $10 to his name, and he passes the man on the side of the road, the man behind the dumpster and thought, "well, I have a home, and a little bit of food at my house, and $10 in my pocket I can take a shower and I have clothes" I'm doing pretty well.
This young man was "stewarding" the homeless man. He was looking after him.
Luke 3:11
And he would answer and say to them, “The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.”After I took these two young men home to a dark, lonely apartment I thought to myself, " why do I have a hard time with stewardship? Why do I hesitate to give $100 to someone or a ministry who needs it? Is it because I think my $100 is not going to amount to a hill of beans in the grand scheme of things? Is it because I am hording my money for a "rainy day"? Here is a kid who doesn't know where his next meal is coming from, whether they will have to move next week or whether he will go home to a dark apartment, but HE realized a guy was worse off than him? He has the faith of a mustard seed. He loves Jesus and puts all his faith in HIM. He knows God will provide for them, and he knows exactly what Jesus commands us to do, to LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS.
Mark 12:30-31
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”
Am I encouraging you to be careless with what God has given you? NO. But, what if we lived not only believing in Jesus, but participating in what HE commands us to do? What if we had the faith of my 13 year old friend who sees need and rises up to meet it even when he literally has nothing, at least in my eyes. I can only imagine that in God's eyes, my little friend has everything. He has faith and is truly loving his neighbor.
Would you like to know how you can get involved in helping your neighbors right here in the community we live in? Mission Southside is the perfect place.
1. Become a monthly giver www.missionsouthside.org
2. Give a one-time gift (literally one time or maybe annually)
3. In two weeks we will host our first Women's Giving Group. This is an opportunity for dozens of women to come together with their $100 and combine their resources to fund two programs our Leaders in Training Program which this young man above participated in last year and focused on Faith, Character and Life Skills, and our new Sports Ministry Program, which will empower kids to learn basketball, soccer and volleyball skills and focus on Character.
Would you join us on June 1st with your $100? Would you join me and several other women and step out in faith to see what God will do with your resources? Would you be willing to steward several kids in our community and give them opportunities they only dream about?
http://www.missionsouthside.org/templates/System/details.asp?id=53110&PID=1054404
