Thankful for Stewardship

As the Thanksgiving Holiday fades into the hundred-mile-an-hour rush to the next holiday, I find myself slowing down to be thankful before time slips away into another Christmas Season. One of the biggest gifts I am thankful for is stewardship.

God has called me out of darkness and into light, and has asked me to be a steward of light. God has called me to be salt to a flavorless world, and has asked me to be a steward of my talents; to add something of value to my sphere of influence. God has called me to be a minister of the Gospel, and to give my life as a steward of his Word. Basically, God has called each and eveyone of us to be stewards. Stewardship is at the core of how we should live, yet we usually push it out to the peripheral. As a leader I must learn to steward my life in a way that maximizes my time, talent, and treasure.

I say all of this because I have spent time reading, journaling, and reflecting on something Andy Stanley said at a Catalyst conference a few years back. Paraphrasing Morpheus's words to Neo, "It has been a splinter in my mind." Stanley charged, "Leadership is stewardship. It is temporary. And you are accountable." Leadership is a temporary stewardship that God holds leaders accountable to in the end. That makes me feel both highly energized and painfully nauseous all at the same time, but that is for another post someday.

If you are a leader (of any variety), then take some time and allow that quote to simmer in your spirit. Or at least take a brief moment and think about it...