Activity - Legacy Ministries Canada

Engaging in stewardship implies an active steward. They will work, or take steps to fulfill the expectations that the property owner set them. Activity and effort are closely related but not identical. I may be active, but I may be putting little effort into my work. Similarly, I may be active and exerting great effort over my task. The presence of activity does not denote a consistent level of activity.

When presented with being active in our stewardship, we must decide how much effort we are going to give. The danger that exists for us is that we are selective in the effort we expend.

Too much rationalization

Any task requiring our attention will cause us to decide how much effort we want to expend completing it. An enjoyable task – whatever that may be for you – will see us happily expend greater effort because we like it. On the other hand, cleaning toilets probably won’t. (I apologize if cleaning toilets is a task you genuinely enjoy.) What am I getting at? We rationalize the effort we are prepared to give based on what the task means to us.

The danger this presents in stewardship is that based on how I view the activity, my effort correlates. If I have been entrusted with something I don’t particularly like, enjoy, or even think I should not have to do, it is unlikely I will give it the full amount of effort it deserves or requires.

More trust required

Rather than have confidence in my mental reasoning, I must remind myself that I can trust God who gave me this stewardship. He is like the Master in Matthew 25:15 who divided up his property to his servants, “…each according to his own ability…”

The things we steward for God may be different – and we have to fight the urge to compare and be dissatisfied. But ultimately we can have confidence in the fact that what we have been entrusted with is perfectly suited for us at this time. (Remember Psalm 139 – God knows us better than we know ourselves. Should we be surprised that our stewardships are best suited to each of us?)

Remember the reflection

As I am active in my stewardship I need to remember that I act as God would act if he were doing this task. It is a high standard and one that, I confess, I frequently forget. What does it say about him if I complete my tasks begrudgingly? What does it reflect of him to the world if I just do the absolute minimum necessary?

While we do not complete our tasks to meet a standard set by anyone other than God, we must remember that there are many others who are watching us. What am I reflecting to them about God?

Look past the task

Similarly, what am I communicating to God about what I think of what he has given me to do? Do I clearly demonstrate that I think he has made a great error, or do I say that I am willing to trust him? As much as I can I need to look past the task and see him. The one who loves me infinitely, who accepts me through his son, and who wants my best.

As I see God clearer my motivation changes to not be just task completion, but to pleasing him and obeying him. At that point I don’t have to decide whether I give this 10% effort or 100% because I will want to give my best each and every time. I should then have the approach that “…whatever [I] do, [I] do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Up Next:

The danger of a productivity mindset **Coming soon**

Explore Ownership more:

Stewardship Component #4 – Activity

“My responsibility in light of Activity” **Coming soon**

In our last post I asked you to consider how you felt you measure up to being a faithful steward. The stewardship component of ‘Activity’ is the indicator on how well you meet the expectations set for a steward.

You may think it strange that it has taken four articles to get to the activity of stewardship. This is deliberate. It is essential that any activity we take be in light of the ownership, relationship, and expectations of stewardship.

Activity is a given

Whatever we steward, a resource or a circumstance, we must expect to be active. Whatever we have been given to care for, manage, or use, the activities we each undertake will be different. But activity will be there in some way, shape, or form.

We cannot get by without doing anything. Even in the parables we have considered, the seeming inactivity of the servant who hid his master’s money was as much him being active in his stewardship as the other servant who went and made more money.

This article is not going to outline for you the ‘Ten Most Important Activities of a Steward.’ While that is a catchy headline, the individual nature of stewardship makes that difficult to do. Plus. it wouldn’t ultimately help you. What I want to do with you is consider the environment we conduct our stewardship activities in as that can influence our faithfulness.

A story that sounded a lot like real life

In Luke 19:11-27 Jesus paints a picture of a nobleman going away to receive a kingdom. A delegation from his community is also sent to oppose his claim. This was familiar to Jesus’ audience of events at the start of Herod Archelaus’ rule over Judea.

Archelaus was the son of Herod the Great. The Herod the Great who ruled when Jesus was born. The man who authorized the slaughter of baby boys in and around Bethlehem. When Herod the Great died Archelaus had a claim to his position. But absolute power did not reside with Herod the Great. He was a local ruler under the authority of the Roman emperor. Therefore, Archelaus had to petition Caesar Augustus for the right to rule in his father’s place.

In the short time that elapsed between Herod the Great’s death and his departure for Rome Archelaus slaughtered approximately 3,000 people inside the temple in Jerusalem. It showed what type of ruler he would be. To safeguard the local populous, a delegation went after him to Rome to convince Caesar that he was not a suitable option for ruler. Ultimately, Archelaus was given the rule of Samaria, Judea, and Idumea. He was in power when Joseph, Mary, and Jesus returned from Egypt. (Matthew 2:22)

It all sounds rather familiar to the opening lines of the parable. Jesus was a masterful storyteller. He used historical events to draw His audience into the story and then presents his point on the kingdom of heaven that He wants them to learn.

In this parable, think about the environment those servants completed their stewardship in.

Anything but favourable

They were in a familiar environment. They had not been sent them away to new locations to work. Their stewardship activities were in a community and an environment they knew well. While that was the case, it was also a hostile environment. The community hated their master. They felt strongly enough that they were actively attempting to thwart his rise to power.

This was the environment these men entered to do business.

They were associated with a man the community hated and they were expected to do business in their master’s name in his absence. Anonymity was not an option. They could not hide behind modern communication devices as we can. They would have had to personally interact with members of the community – any number of which could have agreed to the opposition of their master.

Can you see any parallels between this parable and the environment you operate in as a steward?

We are active in a hostile environment

We do not have to look far to see that our society rejects Jesus Christ. It has turned its back on God. It is in this environment that we conduct our stewardship.

There are many ways our society is hostile to our activity as stewards. They may oppose specific activities we undertake, but fundamentally their entire way of thinking is opposite to a stewardship mindset. It is a society that is moving in the opposite direction to the way a Christ-follower is going. Christian stewards swim against the current.

Knowing this, the prospect of engaging with such a society is difficult. It takes courage and strength to live faithfully for God in such a place. There will be temptation to go along with the direction everything else is moving in. To be inconspicuous. To not cause a stir.

But the life of a Christian is counter cultural on every level. It is a life that pursues the things of God and not the things of this world.

If we are to live faithfully as stewards, we will move in a different direction. We will act in ways that aren’t considered normal by the wider populous. But it is not the individuals in society who will assess what we do. We serve God in our stewardship, and he will assess our work. So, let’s work for Him, and to His expectations.

Up Next:

Component 5 – Assessment

Explore Activity more:

“The Danger of Selective Effort” **Coming soon**