Contentment part 4

We are called to be stewards, but what in the world is a steward?  A good steward is someone who looks after the resources of another with their best interest at heart.  We have already established that everything we have in this world is ultimately from God.  However, it is not my job, in the name of Godly stewardship to manage my neighbor’s resources.  God gave me certain resources that I am to manage with the ultimate goal of having God’s interest at heart. 

So what is God interested in? 
The Body of Christ
Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.”
The gospel
Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”  
Others coming to Christ
2 Corinthians 5:20-21, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.  He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Healthy marriages and families
Colossians 3:18-21, “Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.  Husbands, love your wives, and do not be embittered against them.  Children, be obedient to your parents in all things. For this is well-pleasing to the Lord.  Fathers, do not exasperate your children, that they may not lose heart.”

This is just to name a few.  Imagine how your life would be different if with everything you had, you sought out how you could use it to invest in the things God is interested in?  God, how do you want me to use my tax refund, my bonus, my home, my free time, my car?  Would anything in your life look different?  If so, maybe God is calling you to make these changes as His steward.  Here are a few resources we have that God wants a say in how we are using them. 

Are you a good steward of your time?
Ephesians 5:15-17, “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.  So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
Are you a good steward of your talent?
Ephesians 4:11, “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.”
Are you a good steward of your treasure?
2 Corinthians 9:6, “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  Each one much do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 

So, are you a good steward?

Contentment (part 3)

So as I see it, if you can picture this with me.  God should be at the center on the wheel, each other area of your life should branch off from there like spokes, all supported by our spiritual beliefs.  So can I have “me” time?  Of course, but is it focused on God?  Just recently I had to get away for a few days, much of my alone time was spent getting my attitude and my perspective corrected.  I was not living a very content life.  I was searching and striving for each next thing to make me happy.  God showed me during my “me” time just how good I had it and if my situation never changed I could be content knowing I was just where God wanted me.  When I got home, nothing really changed, except my attitude about my life and isn’t that everything? 

So if we could see our work, our entertainment, our family, our finances through a God first lens, how would that change things?  Ultimately our time and our resources all come from God in the first place, look at Colossians 1: 15-17, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.  He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”  Psalms 24:1 states, “The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it.”

If we saw all that we had as God’s would that change the way you used your time, energy, resources, relationships?  Would you spend so much time watching TV?  Would you change the way you treated your spouse?  Would you spend so much money on your car or your vacation?  If your job ultimately came from God, have you been honoring God with how you are working? 

Often as I analyze my own life I am sad to see that I spent 2 hours watching TV, 1 hour reading a novel and 2 minutes reading my Bible and praying.  I am equally as challenged to use my time for God.  As I close I want to look at the Definition of Stewardship and next week I will talk about what exactly we are to be Stewards of.  The definition of Stewardship out of the Webster’s New 20^th Century Dictionary is: 1.  A person entrusted with the management of the house or estate of another; managing domestic affairs, servants, and finances  2.  One who acts as a supervisor or administrator, as of finances and property of another.

This is conveys the idea of the head servant of a manor, who takes care of all the master of the manor owns by delegating resources and time so the estate runs as it should.  If we picture the world as God’s, we are head servant over the things God has placed in our charge:  our job, family, marriage, free time, money.  Are you using these things for the betterment of His estate or are you selfishly using His resources to please yourself? 

Contentment (part 2) What is a Worldview?

Do you know what a world view is?  Do you know what your world view is?  Interestingly enough we all have a world view and most of us don’t even realize it.  This World view effects daily decisions we make and we usually don’t even realize we have one, this seems like a dangerous way to live to me. 

Word Net simply define World View as “A comprehensive view of the world and human life.”  Others have gotten much more specific.   The Center Leo Apostel for Interdisciplinary Studies gives these parts to a world view:
1.  An explanation of the world
2.  An explanation of the future, “Where are we heading?”
3.  An explanation of ethics, “What should we do?”
4.  An explanation of action, “How should we attain our goals?”
5.  An explanation of knowledge, “How do we determine true and false?” 
Most of you are now saying, oh sure, I can answer these questions.  However, what framework are you using to answer these and is it consistent between each area?  Whether you realize it or not you make determinations constantly based on your world view.  So, where can our world views come from? 
Science.  I know many people who feel all they know and need to know can come from applying the basics of science.  The scientific method provides a structure for thought, evolution explains the origin of our world, and physics provide an explanation for our future.  Science holds a lot of promise as a world view, if you look at everything through a lens of science and reasoning and make decisions on logic and proven fact then this may be the world view for you. 
Self.  This can be another world view that many choose to follow.  Our world is here to provide me with the things I need to be comfortable, I determine my own truth and act upon that truth to get me farther along in life, my future is only hindered by restrictions I place upon me.  Self can be a huge motivator and in our modern culture it is one that we hear about through most media outlets.  If it feels good to you, do it.  Don’t deny yourself anything.  You are the boss, and you can make it happen. 
Religion or Politics.  My view of the world is putting people in a box of good and bad and calling them good or bad based on my religious or political preferences.  Knowledge comes from my leader or pundit of choice.  I make decisions about my future based on forecasting and outlooks of the future by people within my trusted circle of influence.  This is usually a closed off group because good and bad are so clear to them. 
If you feel you don’t really fit into any of these or maybe you feel like you might be a mixture of all of them, you probably are.  In fact most people move between several world views throughout the day.  However, no part of one world view can be in opposition with the same person’s overall world view.  The idea here is that it has to make sense to us as an individual. 
For instance if you are a scientific thinker a religious view about seven days of creation may contradict your thoughts on the origin of the world.  So, you have to figure out a way that both could be true for instance you may say, I still believe in evolution but I am going to place God in the center of it and call it theistic evolution.  Or you may have a self world view, but hear at church that you are to take up a cross (suffer) and follow Jesus.  Suffering doesn’t quite go along with the self world view so you decide I can’t be suffering because then I can’t be a good parent or worker, I have to take care of myself.  These are just two examples of how people mix and match and talk themselves through all the contradictions that come across on a daily basis.
I am going to suggest to you that there may be one other world view that needs to be shared.  This is the Christ-centered world view (some call it Christian, but that sounds too religious for me).  This is the world view that says everything I think, do, plan for, and act on all have thoughts of Christ first.  The basis of this world view is the Bible which is the final authority.  So a thought about should I take this job, buy this car, take my family here are all done with Christ as the center of the decision. 
I am a Christ follower, a scientist, a member of the local church, a registered voter and a member of a very self driven society.  So how does this look?  I know that God is my final authority and I know that if something doesn’t make sense or I can’t figure it out from Scripture I need to keep looking.  I know that God wants me to know Him and that usually if I put the time in to search I find an answer.  I know that I am to vote, but not along criteria that any party or pundit tells me about, but along the lines of who agrees more with God.  I know the scientific evidence for evolution and I know what the Bible says and I know that if I search I can find an answer that will not directly contradict either.  The bottom line for the Christ-centered world view is to read your Bible and pray and slow down.  The hardest one for me is the self world view.  I hear all day long how I am supposed to do this and that for myself and how this product or that purchase will make my life better.  When I catch myself thinking about self first (which is often), I pray for the strength to get back to what is really important. 
So where are you?  Can you now answer my original questions?  What is a world view?  What is YOUR world view?  Are you happy with the way you look at the world and what your final authority is?  Thank you for taking the time to read this because as I continue to go into a series on Contentment and Stewardship the Christ-centered world view is going to be the backbone.  Keep reading, keep studying and keep Christ in the center.