The Treasure Principle

As much as I enjoyed posting to this blog, I have several blogs and could not maintain them all.

I have learned a lot in the past several years about stewardship and practically everything I have learned can be found in Randy Alcorn’s The Treasure Principle.

I highly recommend buying this book and reading and re-reading it. You will be blessed as you learn God’s principles so you might honor Him with the finances, possessions, time, and talents that He has given into your care.

The Dinner Plans

“Whenever you give to someone who is helpless or needy, you are serving Jesus and, in turn the Father. In addition, I can tell you from personal experience that serving those who can’t repay you brings the deepest satisfaction.

“Several years ago, Vonette and I were about to celebrate our wedding anniversary. I was trying to think of a special, elegant place to take her that would express how important she is to me. I wanted it to be a meaningful evening.

“But . . . after discussing the plans with Vonette, we agreed that instead of going to an elegant hotel . . . we would serve meals to the homeless. We knew a friend who ran a kitchen for the homeless, so he arranged for us to go.

“Soon after we arrived, we were given our assigned places in the serving line, and people began walking by cafeteria -style. Right away I noticed that these people carried an air of defeat. No on e looked me in the eye. I found myself identifying with them. I thought, But for the grace of God, what happened to them could happen to me, and I began to weep.

“I served for an entire hour with tears streaming down my cheeks. I thought about the compassion Jesus had for people as He ministered to them. I recalled . . . Matthew9:36: ‘[Jesus] felt great pity for the crowds that came, because their problems were so great and they didn’t know where to go for help.’ The experience . . . gave me a deeper compassion for people who are less fortunate than I am. “

–[Excerpt from Discover the Real Jesus by Bill Bright, pp. 107 -108]

Great Resource for Stewardship Research

I just found a great site today if you want to learn more about stewardship.

The Generous Giving website has three search functions that you might find useful:

• You can search the Bible about money and giving.
• You can search for sermons about stewardship (some are audio, some written out).
• You can search about money and giving by author as well.

True Riches

I was reading in Light of Eternity by Randy Alcorn. He was discussing the parable of the unjust steward in Luke 16: 1 – 13. I was particularly impressed by his thought of “true riches.”

God reminds us repeatedly in His Word that He owns everything and we are stewards of what He gives us. It can be challenging to live that way and keep that mindset.

In this life, God desires for us to be faithful stewards of our lives: the time, the talents, treasures, opportunities,… that He has given us. If we are faithful with what is His, then He promises us “true riches” in eternity.

One meaning of true riches is that only in Heaven do I have ownership. For the first time, God will give me what I can call “my own.”

Also, true riches are only possible in Heaven where no one can be impoverished by my gain. No one is needy in eternity.

This also raises the thought for me this morning. Is someone missing out because I will not loosen my grip on something that isn’t really mine in the first place?