I was delighted to have my grandchildren spend the night on boxing day. I enjoy having the kids over without their parents. It gives us undistracted time together. The house is quiter and my attention can be totally focused on the kids. It is not at all the same as when I was a mom with little children. Then too many concerns of every day life were mixed up with my every day care of the kids. With grandkids the cares are still there, but they can be put aside for a day so that I can focus on the brief time I have as care giver and grandma. I am able to see the children's interests clearly and have the time to pursue those interests. It is a gift that I cherish and have fun with.
I look at my faith life and I see that I can easily fall into the patterns I did as a mother, being pre-occupied with the details of every day living and forgetting that stopping and enjoying the details of my faith is important. What do I mean by details? Well, it is kind of like with the grand kids. I get to look at them from a much more insightful stance since I am not pre-occupied with their every day care. I can pause, see though the daily grind and marvel at who they are as people. With my faith, it is the pausing and enjoying of scripture, the marvelling at the handiwork of God the pausing to take delight in who God is and how He works. Today that happened for me in Eph. 3:2 with the use of the word stewardship in relation to the gift of grace.
Stewardship is an old english word derived from "stig ward". Stig meaning house and ward as in a care giver or warden. The term is not used much in common english today, though it has significant theological meaning. Typically it is associated with being a keeper of and generous dispenser of that which you are entrusted with. Often goods or money. In Eph 3:2 though it is said that Paul has the stewardship grace on behalf of others. What an interesting truth. We often think of God as the giver of grace, but here it is clear that Paul has been entrusted with grace so that it can be generously shared with others. It is shared through teaching, through truth sharing and through encouragement.
So often we think of our faith as our own. It is mine, it is private, it is for my good and my comfort and my relationship with God. Eph 3 is not agreeing with that self focused pattern of living. Eph 3 says we are merely stewards of the grace we have received. We are keepers of it, entrusted with a great gift so that we can share it and multiply it while somehow at the same time keep it safe and secure.
Stewards of God's grace for others. How am I taking care of the grace I have received? How am I sharing it with others? What will I change today to live in the reality that I am a steward of that great salvation and work of grace which I have received? One way is the taking time to see clearly, to take the pause and know who I am and what I am called to do and be in Christ. May He be glorified in me, in the pause and may His grace flow through me daily.
I look at my faith life and I see that I can easily fall into the patterns I did as a mother, being pre-occupied with the details of every day living and forgetting that stopping and enjoying the details of my faith is important. What do I mean by details? Well, it is kind of like with the grand kids. I get to look at them from a much more insightful stance since I am not pre-occupied with their every day care. I can pause, see though the daily grind and marvel at who they are as people. With my faith, it is the pausing and enjoying of scripture, the marvelling at the handiwork of God the pausing to take delight in who God is and how He works. Today that happened for me in Eph. 3:2 with the use of the word stewardship in relation to the gift of grace.
Stewardship is an old english word derived from "stig ward". Stig meaning house and ward as in a care giver or warden. The term is not used much in common english today, though it has significant theological meaning. Typically it is associated with being a keeper of and generous dispenser of that which you are entrusted with. Often goods or money. In Eph 3:2 though it is said that Paul has the stewardship grace on behalf of others. What an interesting truth. We often think of God as the giver of grace, but here it is clear that Paul has been entrusted with grace so that it can be generously shared with others. It is shared through teaching, through truth sharing and through encouragement.
So often we think of our faith as our own. It is mine, it is private, it is for my good and my comfort and my relationship with God. Eph 3 is not agreeing with that self focused pattern of living. Eph 3 says we are merely stewards of the grace we have received. We are keepers of it, entrusted with a great gift so that we can share it and multiply it while somehow at the same time keep it safe and secure.
Stewards of God's grace for others. How am I taking care of the grace I have received? How am I sharing it with others? What will I change today to live in the reality that I am a steward of that great salvation and work of grace which I have received? One way is the taking time to see clearly, to take the pause and know who I am and what I am called to do and be in Christ. May He be glorified in me, in the pause and may His grace flow through me daily.
Comments
Post a Comment