God’s generosity towards us is more due to his love for us than to his ownership of all things. God owns all things, but if he was not motivated by the love he will not share what he has with man. It is love that motivates God to reach out to mankind. In Christ, God gave man his best and his ultimate.
The Psalmist in chapter 104:27-29 pictures God’s overarching generosity and providence over creation, “These all wait for You, That You may give them their food in due season. What You give them they gather in; You open Your hand, they are filled with good. You hide Your face, they are troubled; You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.” (NKJV).
Peter writes that God has given us all things that pertain to life in Christ Jesus. “As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (II Peter 1:3-4 NKJV). The appropriation of God’s blessings come through the knowledge of Christ.
The Bible tells us that we are adopted into God’s own family, therefore, we can enjoy the full inheritance rights with Jesus. According to Paul, the Christian’s spiritual inheritance is based strictly on our relationship to Christ.
“For you are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ…. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Gal 3:26,29). God’s generosity should be discussed alongside stewardship.
True God is a giver, but his generosity calls for accountability and stewardship. His goal is not just to lavish his blessings on us, but to have us use his blessings wisely and judiciously. 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 reads, “Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.”
Stewardship in the Bible has to do with understanding that your life is not your own. Your life is from God and he expects you to steward everything about your life for his glory and the good of others. “For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” (1 Corinthians 4:7).
As a steward of God’s resources, you will need to manage them in such a way that you can provide for the needs of others. This means being hospitable and of service to others. “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever” (1 Peter 4:10-11).
Service to the household of God and the wider society is one way of being conduits of the blessings of God. God has given to you so that others may feel God’s love through you.
Contact: pastoracukachi@gmail.com
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