StewardLife Lesson 24
STORY:
“As a child growing up on the shore of Lake Erie, I remember being fascinated watch-ing the big ore boats sail out of a nearby harbor and off into the distance. It didn't take long before they would go over the horizon and only a column of smoke would be visible. It was not until much later in my life that I heard that sailors estimate the horizon to be 12 miles away, based upon their visual height from the water.
If you were to board a ship and sail toward the horizon, the horizon would always continue to go on ahead of you 12 miles away. The same thing happens with travel on land by car. Just beyond every horizon there's more—there's no end in sight. It takes someone with a larger vision to imagine what is over the horizon.
INSIGHT OUT:
Those whose eyes are connected only to the head seem to concentrate only on visible realities. There's little attempt to think beyond the horizon. “Let's deal with what we can see,” they say.
Those who live the StewardLife, whose eyes are connected to the heart, see not only what is visible, but imagine what is over the horizon. They “walk by the Spirit and not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Their faith and trust in God's grace open up a whole world of opportunity to use all of life and life's resources for God's purposes. Imagine what could be just over the horizon for you—for your congregation!
EXERCISE:
What is the oldest object in your household? What in your house is likely to be around the longest? How does it affect your thinking if the answer to the second question is: My soul?
STORY:
Merlin Granberg, a hospital food service administrator and antique car collector, shares his hobby with his congregation. Granberg has restored numerous vintage automo-biles and shares them with Trinity Lutheran Church, Mount Vernon, Washington.
The men's club has held its monthly meetings in his restoration garage. Granberg brings antique cars to church functions and picnics. He has given rides to children in the vacation Bible school and generally opened his stable of treasures to the congregation. “But nothing lasts forever,” says Granberg. “It's not only the hymn writer that discovered change and decay all around I see. In the car hobby it's fix, fix and more fix. Thank God that in eternity something will finally be experienced that will last forever.”
INSIGHT OUT:
One of our church body's adopted stewardship principles is: God's stewards live with an awareness of the present and future--of time and eternity. God's stewards live intentionally in the light of the Lord’s eternal purpose while being firmly committed to His rule in the here and now. See Matthew 6:19-21; 1 Timothy 6:17-19; Philippians 3:12-14, 20; 2 Peter 3:11-12a; Revelation14:13. What stewards decide to do or leave undone has eternal consequences. They pursue good planning for the present and future, and rejoice in knowing that what they do has lasting benefits. Christian stewards extend God’s kingdom here and now, as well as the future.
EXERCISE:
You won't be driving long today before you come to your first intersection. Which way do you go? Most likely you know because you have your destination in mind.
Let every intersection you encounter today or this week remind you to consider what happens when you come to an intersection in your life—when you have to make a decision that could affect your job or family—your whole future. How do you know which way to go?
Scripture tells us “In all things God works for the good of those who love Him” (Romans 8:28). This means that when you make a choice as a Christian in keeping with God's Word, with prayer and reliance on God's guidance, God blesses the choice: forward, right, or left—even backward! Just don't forget to signal!
