STEWARDSHIP IS A WAY OF LIFE! (Spiritual Message. September 5, 2021)

We have all been confronted with the complaints of friends or family members, bemoaning the fact that they seem to have no free time in their hectic schedule. Empathize with them, and then proceed to tell them that they are right!

As Orthodox Christians, our time is never totally free, nor is it really ours! God has granted all of us a certain amount of years on earth. What we do with this time is called STEWARDSHIP. There are many things in our life which give us the opportunity to serve as stewards: our family, our neighbors, our work and our Church, just to name a few. One day, we will all come before the Father and He will ask us what we did with our time on earth. This is stewardship.

Stewardship is more than a financial commitment, when is the usual image this term conjures up in the mind. It transcends money, calling for a total dedication to serving the Lord to the best of our abilities in all aspects of our life. Orthodox Christians are stewards of God’s love, and of God’s image that is presented to us through Christ Jesus. We are stewards of the kingdom of God, and our bodies, of the earth and the environment. Yes, stewardship encompasses a vast variety of areas of interest!

In a perfect world, stewardship would fulfill that time which we call “free” and the word “stewardship” would, perhaps, have a fuller and richer connotation than it does in today’s world. That “perfect world”, however, is the kingdom of God, which has been disclosed fully only through Jesus Christ. As Orthodox Christians, we have the chance to learn of the kingdom of God through practicing our faith and living as stewards of all that God has entrusted to us.