Yesterday’s devotion got me thinking about stewardship. It is easy to get a mixed-up attitude about our possessions.

One of my favorite movies is Shenandoah. There is a scene that shows the wrongheaded attitude we sometimes have about “things.” You can watch the clip here. The family has gathered at the dinner table for a meal and the father offers this prayer:  “Lord, WE cleared this land, WE plowed it, sowed it and harvested. WE cooked the harvest. It wouldn’t be here, we wouldn’t be eatin’ it if we hadn’t done it all ourselves. We worked dog-bone hard for every crumb and morsel, but we thank you just the same anyway, Lord, for this food we’re about to eat. Amen.”

Is that how you feel? Is that how you act? Sometimes we seem to think everything we have is only because we worked for it. We did it. We leave God’s goodness out of the equation altogether. We discount His involvement in our lives.

For our entire married life, Cheryl and I have tithed of our gross income to our local congregation. Often times, we gave more than 10% of our earnings to carry out the mission and ministry that God has entrusted to all of us. And that does not include the gifts we give to other entities outside our congregation. And God continued to bless us. Tremendously. It all comes from Him anyway, and He keeps giving us more. We don’t miss what we give to Him with grateful hearts.

I’ve heard some say, “I don’t make enough to tithe.” That’s a ridiculous argument. If you can’t trust God and return 10% when you’re making $100 a week you won’t give 10% when you’re making $1000 per week. It comes down to whether or not you believe God’s promise.

It saddens me to think that so many are depriving themselves of the blessings you could have if you would just trust God in this matter.  It also saddens me when I think of how a lack of first fruit giving limits congregations in what they are able to do ministry wise.

After all, that is what we are really all about. We are people who know and believe without a doubt that when Jesus came to this earth, He did it for us. We know that all of our sins and our failings and our shortcomings make us deserving of death, but Jesus took care of that for us. We have been led by the Spirit to believe that the life and death of Jesus paid for our sins and His resurrection from the dead guarantees us life everlasting. We have this faith. We want to respond to this good news with new lives, holy lives, good stewardship lives.

But things keep getting in the way. Our fears. Our uncertainties. Our doubts. Don’t let your fears and uncertainties and doubts rob you of the blessings God wants to give you, the blessings that come from living the new life to which He calls His children. Remember, He is the one who gave you His Son, gave you forgiveness, gave you salvation, and gives you everything else you have. It all belongs to Him.  How are you using what God has given you for Him?

Years ago a lady sat down to write out her church contribution check at the kitchen table. Her five-year-old son came in, looked at the offering envelope and asked, “Mom, who are you sending that envelope to?” Trying to be a model parent and hoping to be a good example to her son, she replied, “This is a special envelope. We are sending money to God.” That little five year old thought about that for a moment like only a five year old can, and then said, “Mom, I hate to tell you, but everything already belongs to God. This is just the part you’re giving back.” If only more of God’s children had that crystal clear understanding of what it means to be a steward and put it into practice.

I pray that all of you will grow in your faith, in your lives as disciples of Jesus, as stewards who recognize that it all belongs to God and who administer it accordingly. God help each of us to live as He would have us live.