Are you ready to GIVE BACK? Do you know Him? He is coming.
After exhorting us to wait in patience and prayer for days, the readings for this third Sunday direct our attention to two fundamental questions: Are you ready? Do you know Him? The underlying theme in the scriptures appointed for this mass is “stewardship”. The first collect names us “stewards” of God ministries and invites us to “prepare and make ready” His way. The epistle reminds us that “it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful…” This Sunday, also known as rose Sunday, marks a major shift in how we communicate about God’s call upon the Stewardship of our resources. In the bible, stewardship is “having dominion over the works of God.” The works of God’s hands include all the material things and creatures of the Earth. We, as stewards, are not the owners of these things, but we are the managers who have dominion of these things. Psalm 8:6 advises us of God giving us dominion over his works and creation. Psalm 8:6, “Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou has put all things under his feet”. This definition of stewardship can be broken down into four components, the four Ts of Stewardship: time, talent, temple, and treasure.
1. Time: God has given us our life and our time to manage as part of us being his steward. Stewardship includes caring for all things that God has given us. As good stewards, he expects us to manage our time, our life, according to his will. We are to redeem the time that God has provided us. Ephesians 5:16 advises us to redeem our time for God’s glory. Ephesians 5:16, “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
2. Temple: Care for Your Body, the Temple of the Holy Ghost. The definition of stewardship includes caring for all things that God has given us. This includes our bodies. As Christians, our bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost. If our bodies are to be temples of the Holy Ghost, then it goes without saying that we should not defile our bodies with sin. 1st Corinthians 6:19, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”
3. Talents: Use Our Given Talents For Good Works. Stewardship also includes the making use of the talents and abilities that God had given us. God has given each us unique talents and He desires us to put our talents to good use. Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
4. Treasure: Being Accountable for God’s Treasure. A key definition of stewardship is being accountable for God’s treasures. The Bible tells us that all things are created by God and all things are God’s. As God’s stewards, God has given us material things to faithfully administer for his glory. Haggai 2:8, “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts.”The question we all ought to answer is this: are you ready to welcome him? Have you made good use of your time, Temple, Talents and treasure this advent? Are you ready to GIVE BACK ? When? How much? Why? Today is the day to give back for all the blessings He has bestowed upon you.
