LIVING AS CHRISTIAN STEWARD CHARGED WITH 

INTENSE JOY

          My continued reading of the Catholic Church’s Stewardship Letter from several decades ago, is now at the section titled “The Christian Steward.” The insert says

          “The life of a Christian steward, lived in imitation of the life of Christ, is challenging, even difficult in many ways; but both here and hereafter it is charged with intense joy.”

          This statement spoke to me because we just celebrated the Third Sunday of Advent and Joy. We are God’s co-workers; we must live for the Lord, not for ourselves.

          As Christian stewards, we are generous out of love as well as duty. We aren’t generous because we want to check a checkmark on a list, but rather “If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him?” (1 John 3:17)

          Joy doesn’t mean happiness. There are differences, such as:

·        Happiness is caused by luck, good fortune and other worldly pleasures, whereas joy is caused by overall happiness and soul satisfying incidents.

·        Happiness is more momentary, as it is a result of short-term contentment, while joy is long lasting.

·        Happiness merely pleases a person, while joy warms the person’s heart.

·        Happiness mostly comes from outside things, as it is gained by observing or doing a particular thing. On the other hand, joy lies within a person.

·        As an example: If a person wins a lottery, he is happy, but if he raises that same amount by his hard work, he would feel rejoiced.[1]

          Last year, during advent, I preached on Joy every week, from hopeful joy, to peaceful joy, to joyful joy, and loving joy. Joy isn’t limited to just one Sunday of Advent.

          Because Joy lies within us and lies within our imitation of life of Christ, it must include hope, peace and love as well.

         

 

       

 

---

[1] Difference Between Joy and Happiness | Difference Between http://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/difference-between-joy-and-happiness/#ixzz6gclROXcJ

 

                     MODELING STEWARDSHIP

 

          Would you like to be a model? You know, stand up in front of a whole bunch of people, parade around in a cool-looking outfit, walking a certain way, and just letting people watch you? And, then, if you did a good job, some of those people and others would want to do what you do?

          I bet, for most of you, your answer is “No, absolutely not! I can’t do that! People staring at me and watching everything I do!”

          As an introvert, I have to agree. It is very uncomfortable to have people staring at me, waiting for me to make a mistake or fall down (all of which I’ve done, by the way—and in front of others). Those are stories for another day.

          While being a model brings a certain picture to mind, at least for me, we all are models. Whether we do it unconsciously or consciously, we model stewardship and discipleship.

          So, to use the "picture" of a model, do you want people to see this:

          Or this:

• ·        We have to be conscious of what our actions and our words say
• ·       Our actions and words have to match
• ·        God’s call on our lives must be fulfilled by what we do and say
• ·   Fulfilling our call means that Jesus’ directions to us: to go and makes disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, actually happens

·        We mustn’t keep our hands (and hearts) in a fist, grasped tight and closed

·        We have to reach out in Christian discipleship

 

          And this modeling isn’t limited to adults, it must also involve youth and children. 

            Last week, I talked about sharing our WHY so that people that know us understand our story and our personal theologies of giving, generosity and stewardship.

          Everything we do should model stewardship and discipleship, from our jobs, our vocations, our church “work”, our prayer lives, our education, our personal and corporate practices.

          So the question isn’t “would you like to be a model”, but rather “wouldn’t you like to be a model”.

           And the answer is: “Absolutely, of course I would! I AM a Christian Steward.”

         

 

       

 

  WHAT DO OUR STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH OUR WHY?

        I am continuing to read the Catholic Church’s Stewardship Letter, and am at the section titled “Promoting Gifts of Time, Talent and Treasure: Seven Steps to Success.”

        The first step is “Personal Witness.” It states “the most important ingredient in any effort to encourage giving of time, talent and treasure is the personal witness of individuals (clergy, religious, and lay) who have experienced a change of heart as a result of their commitment to stewardship.”[1]

        This is so, so important. I mean, we can read the “official” documentation and hear a statement from an “expert”, but let’s be honest, doesn’t hearing a testimony by someone we know, someone who has traveled the same path we have make us sit up and listen a little more carefully?

        When my husband and I have considered whether to donate to a cause, or an organization, or church, or another not-for-profit, whichever it is, while we are generally generous, there is a lot more motivation when (1) we hear the story of how our gifts will make a difference; (2) we see someone’s life changed; and (3) someone who has come before us or is walking along side us tells of how they are motivated to be generated for this exact moment.

        Of course, none of us are at the exact same point on the exact same pathway. For that to happen, we have to be wearing the exact same pair of shoes (at the same time)! Some are walking side-by-side with us, some are up ahead leading the way but still in eyesight; others are so far ahead we can’t see them anymore; and some are behind us, maybe coming close up behind us and maybe lagging behind.

        It’s impossible for us to be the same person and for our situation to match someone else’s, but our situation, our story is important for others. Not to brag, but to share. Not to say I gave this amount of money, aren’t a wonderful; but to share our WHY.

        Sharing our WHY shares our hearts, our good and our bad, our positive and our negative, how God is shaping us and sharing our hearts, our motivations and our actions.

        Share those stories!

---

[1] The 1992 pastoral letter, Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response, by U.S. Catholic Bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee on Stewardship.