"The Peace of Stewardship"

      Blessed relief descends upon us from Heaven when we realize our role and responsibility as stewards of our lives rather than as owners and masters.

     "Ye are not your own" (I Corinthians 6:19). 

     When we perceive ourselves as the captain of our own fate, a deceptive influence leads to either pride or despair, depending on how we evaluate our performance in governing our lives.  The darkness began long ago in Eden, when our forefathers embraced the devilish lie that "ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:5).  Thereafter, Adam's offspring see themselves as far more than we are, failing to recognize the fundamental truth that "in Him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28).  Moreover, our true Owner and Master provides "life and breath and all things" (Acts 17:25).  We belong to Him, whether knowingly or not - "the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world, and all they that dwell therein" (Psalm 24:1).  God saturates the existence of all who dwell in His creation, but our spiritual and moral alienation from Him gravely deludes us until and unless the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ "calls you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (I Peter 2:9).

    Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, births us into the light of truth about ourselves, our lives, our possessions, our relationships, our bodies, our all.  Trusting submission to Him guides us in the peace of stewardship - "Trust in the Lord with all thy heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6).  Indeed, let breath the sweet breath of Heavenly peace that stills our hearts with the truth that we do not belong to ourselves, we are not the arbiters of our destiny, and our possessions are not our possessions.  We rather exist as the beneficiaries of "the Most High God, the Possessor of Heaven and earth" (Genesis 14:19).  We belong to Him, we receive from Him, and we seek to gratefully honor Him as the steward sons and daughters amazed by the grace of deliverance from the wicked insanity of seeking to captain our own fate.  This is tranquility for the sons and daughters of God in Christ, the stillness of eternity and of this day wherein our Heavenly Father graces us with the rest of belonging to Him rather than to ourselves.  Sweet indeed is the breath of such peace, as bestowed by the Prince of peace who speaks by His Word and His Spirit even in this holy moment of the peace of stewardship…

"Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."

(Matthew 11:28-30)

Weekly Memory Verse

    The Lord is gracious and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy."

(Psalm 145:8