Stewardship is . . . a God giving response.

Our giving is always motivated by faith, not by our budget needs. Waldo J. Werning in his book, Supply-Side Stewardship reminds us:

Budgets are spending guides, not collection guides. Therefore the educational program in Christian giving should precede setting the budget or informing the people what the budget may be. The people actually set the budget by their commitment in planned, first-fruit, proportionate giving.

The business world would have you look at how much you expect to “make” in a determined period and then set you budget accordingly. In the church we are expected to do God’s work and to set our budget accordingly, understanding that God will give the wherewithal to do the work what He would have us to do. Notice the difference in these two worlds. The business world is dependent on people and what people can accomplish. The church is dependent on God and what God working through the church can accomplish. And here we are reminded that we are the church.

We set our budget, but that does not mean we have to settle for “just making our budget.” Our Lord is a great God, He is an almighty God who can do amazing things. He can work through us so that our giving surpasses our budget so much that we can do even more and greater things than we can think or image. Always remembering that we do what we do so that we may grow in our spiritual life, so that His kingdom may be extended in our neighborhood, in our community, and beyond, and so that praise and glory may be given to His Holy Name.

21 of 52 © Rev. Ronald A. Bogs