Diocese of Covington - Stewardship, Missions and DPAA at 402 East 21st Street - PO Box 15550, Covington, KY 41015-0550 US - Stewardship ... Responding to the Call
| Stewardship ... Responding to the Call |
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All that you have comes from God!
You exist to give glory to God!
Being a good steward is essential to being a disciple of Jesus Christ.
What God gives to you are gifts.
What you share is what makes you truly Christian.
Let go of the mistaken idea that stewardship is just a way to get needed money for the church. See stewardship as following Jesus – no matter what the cost. Put God first in your life.
You, as a layperson, are like the laborer called by the owner of the vineyard. The ‘vineyard’ to which you are called to work is the life given to you by God. The ‘vineyard’ represents the work and responsibilities you have in your family, your parish, your job, and your community. Jesus, the owner, is calling you to be His disciple by working to bring about the Kingdom of God. He calls you to spread His love, compassion, mercy, justice, peace, unity, and forgiveness in the world. Stewardship is a way of life that helps you see the close relationship between discipleship and everyday life.
START SMALL
† Begin your day with thanking God.
† Pray for guidance. Listen when God speaks to you.
† Let go and let God into your life.
† Say “yes” to God each day, and share a portion of your time, talent and treasure with others.
† Turn off the television and computer, and spend some time with God.
† Take time to regularly examine how you spend your time, talent and financial resources.
† Ask yourself, daily, “Am I as generous with others as God is with me?
† Share a portion of your gifts without expecting anything in return.
† Recommit your life to Christ each day.
† Try to love others as Jesus loves them.
FIVE WAYS TO BRING STEWARDSHIP INTO YOUR FAMILY
† Give thanks to God as a family though prayer service.
† Share time, talent, and treasure without counting the cost.
† Identify the gifts of each family member.
† Discuss how your gifts might be used at home, at work, in the parish, in school, and in the community.
† Take on a family project that will reach out to the larger community.
† Practice sacrificial and proportionate giving.
DON’T BECOME DISCOURAGED
Just because stewarding your God-given gifts is the right thing to do, it doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy.
We all know that we should exercise, but how many of us do it?
Living the stewardship way of life is a lifelong challenge. It is a lifelong journey.
If you didn’t do a good job today stewarding your life, take it to God, and pray for strength to make the changes needed for faithful living. Fortunately, God loves you enough to give you plenty of second chances.
· Am I sharing my God-given gifts to make a difference in the world?
· Do I spend time praying and thinking about what gifts God has given me and how I am to develop and use these gifts at this particular moment in my life?
· How do I follow Jesus at home, in my parish, at work, and in my local community?
· Are there things I do that hinder or hurt my relationship with God and others?
· What can I do to help alleviate poverty, hunger, and homelessness?
· What can I do to challenge the diseases of materialism, greed and consumerism?
· Do I share my gifts sacrificially – from my first fruits – not from my surplus?
