Am I Just A Steward?
I am getting closer to the goal of my journey. Searching deep within the cavities of my heart has revealed where I have placed God in many areas of my life. I have torn down many barriers to get to the position of seeking God first. It is in my business life that I have found the greatest challenges. If I was to seek God first, then as I had previously discovered, He would have to have prominence over everything in my business. God would be the authority and guidelines upon which I operated my business. At this point in my journey, a sobering thought has hit me. Jesus was my authority, so I claimed, and I did my best to operate under His principles. But there was still confusion and frustration in this area of my life. Even though I was allowing Jesus to be my authority, I owned the business. The two did not go together for a cohesive business environment. I was the owner (boss) yet Jesus was the authority. Was there an answer to my problem?
As I struggled with this, God placed several passages of scripture before my mind. The first was the teaching of Jesus in the 14th chapter of Luke. These words of Jesus were hard to really grasp, yet seemed to offer the solution. If I wanted to follow Jesus, then I had to deny myself, take up my cross and follow Him. Jesus then points out that this should not be a hasty decision, and before I made the commitment I needed to understand that it was going to cost me something. As I thought to myself, I am willing to pay a few cost; maybe loose a few deals, have people think I am a fanatic, or maybe not work as hard. No big deal. But then I got to verse 33; "In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything cannot be my disciple." At times we like to spiritualize scripture rather than take it at face value, especially when we see what it may really cost. We want to make it a matter of attitude rather than actual practice.
God next brought to my mind His teaching in 1st Corinthians where, "We have been bought with a great price." Now I don't know about you, but if I buy something, and especially when I pay a great price for it, then I own it - lock, stock, and barrel. I am the boss, the authority, and I have possession. Did this mean that if God has bought me with the price of His Son, that He owns not only me, but everything I own including my business? If this was true, then not only was I not the authority, but neither was my business my possession to do with as I pleased. The big question now was ; could I continue in my business and forsake it at the same time? I was wiling to admit I could be a steward of all else that I owned, but my business? My thought was that I would agree to try and do what God wants me to do and to operate my business according to His principles. That sounded a lot more reasonable and comfortable. I can be happy with that. For to give my business to God, would mean He truly is the boss and I am but a steward of His business.
Very few men actually give their businesses to God. In most cases, we were the ones who started the business or paid the price for it. We took the risk and we want the credit that we made it happen. We think of ourselves as a self made man. But scripture tells us that everything we have has been a gift from God. In giving our business to God, we cannot sell it and keep the assets as our possession and for our pleasure. We cannot give it to the kids because we do not own it. The owners goals for the business now take president over my goals. It is for His purpose not mine. His goal and purpose is not money because he owns all the wealth in the world. His treasures are in Heaven and not here on Earth.
So now the question comes; do I own my business or am I just a steward? Jesus does not command in scripture that I give my business to Him. But, am I willing to follow Him all the way in my life by denying all that I possess? What would I have except that God gave it to me? Am I ready to seek Him first?
