Stewardship is . . . God at work in us.

God’s Word is a Word with power. God’s Word is a Word which does what it says. God’s Word does not return void. God’s Word is God’s Word and because it is His Word we know we can believe it, we can trust it, we can stake our lives on it. Or as it has been popularly expressed, “God said it. I believe it. That settles it.”

If you do not go to the grocery store regularly to purchase food to prepare and eat, you will starve to death which means physical death. So, too, if you do not go to where the Lord gives His spiritual gifts, regularly, so that you may inwardly digest His Word, as well as partake of His body and blood, you will starve to death spiritually, which means eternal death.

God gives us His Word and His Sacraments. He gives us these means though which He gives us all the rest of the gifts He has to give to us, faith, strengthening of faith, forgiveness of sins, life, salvation . . . When we absent ourselves from these means (God’s spiritual grocery store) we begin to starve spiritually. But when we are given these gifts from God, then we are filled with His life-giving gifts and we grow spiritually. We are given these gifts as we make regular and diligent use of His means of grace, attending worship, reading His Word, remembering our Baptism and coming to the Lord’s Supper. As we make use of these means we grow in our spiritual life. As we grow spiritually we begin to bear the fruits of the spirit, love, peace, patience, etc.

Being good stewards of God’s gifts (the means of grace, Word and Sacraments) is a tough responsibility, as well as a duty and a privilege, but our Lord is there to help us to be good stewards and He helps us through the very means of which He gives us to be stewards. With the help of the Holy Spirit, working through the Word and Sacraments we are good stewards of the mysteries of God and we are good stewards to the glory of God.

19 of 52 © Rev. Ronald A. Bogs