Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

Just as each one has received a gift, use it for serving one another, as good stewards of the varied grace of God.

1 Peter 4:10

This is a basic principle all parents teach their children. When you’re given a thing, you take care of that thing. Pick up your toys. Pick up your room. Put away your clothes. Don’t play ball inside the house. Anything that is designed to take care of the possessions and the dwelling itself is encouraged. Chores are given to teach a work ethic. Stewardship is the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care. This is a vital cornerstone of most civilized societies. If we don’t care for what we have, everything breaks down and we end up with nothing. Also, it should be noted that caring for what we have (be it animal, vegetable, or mineral) is always considered WORK, but not TOIL. Upkeep isn’t toil. It can be hard, but it is considered part and partial of having that thing. Stewardship is work, but it isn’t toil and should never be thought of in those terms.

When we move into SPIRITUAL things, the principle doesn’t change. Stewardship of our spirituality is work. It is sometimes hard. But it is a necessary aspect of HAVING a spiritual life. We need to feed our spiritual side bread and water every single day (John 6:35). It is not to be neglected (Matthew 6:11). And we were to remain in that spiritually hydrated state (John 7:37-38). How we do this is REMEMBRANCE (1 Corinthians 11:23-25). We do this by making sure the Word takes first place in our lives as a focus for our thinking toward Adonai (Proverbs 4:21; Joshua 1:8). If we don’t feed ourselves and stay hydrated all SORTS of problems present themselves. It is the same spiritually. We need to stay on top of this in order for us to be good stewards of what we have been given.

It is less effective to try and kill a cold AFTER you have it. It is always better to NOT catch a cold by dressing appropriately, having shelter, eating right, exercising, and grooming ourselves. Spiritually, it is better to store up for ourselves the Word of Adonai BEFORE we need to call on it. Why? Because if you have to convince yourself that He is your strong tower during an attack it is almost a guarantee that an arrow or two is going to sneak through. If you have to convince yourself DURING an attack that He has your solution, you might miss the right timing to put it into place and have it be effective. Preparation time is NEVER wasted time because it is GOOD STEWARDSHIP.

Part of this good stewardship is using what we have been given properly. We prepare ourselves with the Word. We seek what the Word says about what we have been given. We forge a relationship with Ruach HaKodesh so that we know His voice and listen to it when He speaks. Then we ask Him about what we have been given and seek the proper ways and places to apply it. There is always a human way and a godly way to use what we’ve been given. And there are always ways that we can test it. Test it against the Word and the principles of the Kingdom – which is the character of Adonai. Is it loving, kind, gentle, glorifying Adonai, patient, forgiving, etc? Is it building up someone up, or giving you a reputation? Is it selfless or selfish? Is Adonai being talked about when you use it, or are you? What’s the heart intent you have? These are serious questions.

“Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for the one who promised is faithful. And let us think about how to stir one another up to love and good works, not abandoning our meeting together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging each other, and by so much more as you see the day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:23-25). “Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, just as indeed you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). “Two are better than the one, for they enjoy a better reward for their toil. For if one falls, his companion may help him up. But pity the one who falls and there is no one to help him up. Also if two lie together, they can keep each other warm. But how can one person be warm? Although an assailant may overpower one person, two may withstand him. A threefold cord is not easily broken!” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). We in the Kingdom should ALWAYS be about one another. There is no ME there is only WE. It’s how Jesus lived, served, and ministered. We should do the same. He is our model for all of our behaviour. When given the opportunity to minister to Himself, He rejected it (Matthew 4:3) – even when it would have been a proof of His identity. How can we be like Him and do differently?

The great thing about stewardship, is when we are faithful with what we have, not only are our needs met, but we are given even more (Luke 16:10; Matthew 25:14-30). Adonai ALWAYS meets our needs (2 Corinthians 9:8). When we serve others for His glory, there is nothing that we lose out on. We get all the things we need, but we also help to get others what THEY need. This is the best kind of cooperation with Adonai that there is. But we can’t walk in it if we neglect our daily feed. Using what we have been given is not as effective if we are not also preparing ourselves to be used by Him. It is the foundation of stewardship, and it comes with consistent reminders by Ruach HaKodesh of what we should be or could be doing to make ourselves AND what we have been given the effective tools of the Kingdom that Adonai means them to be. Submission to Adonai and giving thanks to Him for all that is accomplished is stewardship. Doing anything else is selfish and unproductive – regardless of how it looks from our point of view. Lean into stewardship and give Him the glory for it.

Daily Affirmation of the Goodness of Elohim: 2 Corinthians 9:6-8

“Now the point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one should give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or from compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to cause all grace to abound to you, so that in everything at all times, because you have enough of everything, you may overflow in every good work.” We are fishers of men (Matthew 4:19), but we are farmers of the Kingdom. We plant, water, and then harvest – or accept the harvest others picked. If we have not planted, we cannot get a harvest. But if we plant, we get a harvest. This is why it is crucial to make sure you are inline with the Word BEFORE you sow. You don’t want a spoiled harvest. You want a fruitful and good harvest. The Lord established this system a long time ago and then made a promise. “As long as the earth endures, seed and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will not cease” (Genesis 8:22). If you are experiencing cold or heat, this promise holds. The exact hours of the day may change. The seasons can lengthen or shorten. But they all exist. If you EVER feel cold, His faithfulness says that you can get harvest off your seed. You want more harvest? Plant more seed. What a great system! Nothing left to chance. A guaranteed thing. When we plant according to the Word, we get a good and true harvest in His time. What a GOOD God!

Your Daily Confession of Elohim’s Goodness:

I taste and see that Yahweh is good; I am blessed because I take refuge in Him.

Psalm 34:8