How may I serve you?

If you have ever been on a cruise, you have seen the value of a good ship's steward. They are the person in charge of making sure that your every need is taken care of quickly and with the best that the ship has to offer.

Some years back I went on a cruise to the Carribbean.  The ship was immense and had just about every amenity that could be thought of to keep me and the other passengers entertained.  Two movie theaters, an art gallery, casinos, and unlimited amounts of food and drink.

With fun like that, enjoying the cruise was easy, but as for the sleeping quarters..... well, that was another matter.

The cabin that I has been assigned was designed for someone who had no ambitions in life.  It provided just enough space to catch up on sleep and getting in a quick shower. The idea of spending much time there didn't appeal to me at all because it wasn't anything to do. The main purpose of that room was to give me a place to go and recuperate before getting back out and having more fun!

It was drab and unimportant.

At least, to me it was.

Regardless of my interest, though, every evening when I would return to the cabin it was obvious that someone cared more about it than I did. The bed was made, linens had been replaced, and even the lid was put back on the toothpaste.  Someone had seen to all of the little details.

In fact, daily they even went so far as to create origami characters out of the fresh towels.

There, laid out on the bed, were towels that had been expertly fashioned to resemble animals of all kinds. One day a swan, the next a dog, and once there was a monkey left hanging from the ceiling. Each done with precision and set out with care, all for a passenger who would have barely noticed otherwise.

From something that could be considered mundane and generally uninteresting, it added a sense of personality and care even in that small surrounding.
 
So who did all of this? Who made sure that all of these details were taken care of and well coordinated?

The steward.

All said and done, a good ship's steward covers a lot of ground in a quick, efficient manner, all for the benefit of the passenger.  They take care of the guests, as well as any items brought on board, by making sure that they are kept safe and taken care of to the best of their ability.


Being a Steward


When it comes to our financial lives, how many of us could say that we take as good of care? Every day each of us has decisions to make about the things that we do, the jobs we work at, the places we live. For all of these things, in once way or another, we are responsible to make sure that things are working the way that they are supposed to.

No, it doesn't mean that we always do it well, and it certainly doesn't mean that in every area of our life that we are the "last link"  in the chain of responsibility. In those areas, though, where we do have an influence, we are given a chance to develop God-pleasing character qualities. Chief among these, at least when it comes to our finances, is this concept called "stewardship."

By definition, stewardship is someone who is in charge of another's property or affairs. When it comes to our money, we each have an accountability to make sure that it is take care of properly.

A quick look at four main components of stewardship can give us a little insight and direction on how we can better handle our financial matters. Although not a complete list, at its core, stewardship can be defined by these traits:

• Consistency
• Intention
• Discernment
• Diligence

Consistency

Job 1:5 "...Job would rise up early in the morning and offer burnt offerings....thus Job did with consistency."

Creating a pattern, or a habit if you will, of managing our finances can be daunting but well worth it. Whether you are creating financial plans, setting up a budget and sticking with it, or even bargain shopping to help make ends meet.  All of these and more require commitment and regular attention. This consistency is what helps our financial goals become financial achievements.


Intention

1 Chronicles 29:17 "I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent."

Rather than just letting things go in whatever direction life seems to take us financially, a good steward participates in managing intentionally  that which we have been given.  Only by focusing our attention on what we have can we begin to take care of it. Stewardship begins, then, with recognizing what it is that we have. What it is that we have been given charge of, and looking frequently at how to best protect, preserve, and develop our knowledge and resources.


Discernment

Genesis 41:39 "...there is no one so discerning and wise as you ...."

One of the hardest skills to develop, discernment required learning and wise counsel.  It becomes too easy for us to rely simply on ourselves to make decisions and unless we have the right skills it can become very apparent if we lack discernment in our financial management.  We can begin making bad decisions, expose ourselves to unnecessary risk, or fail to see opportunities for growth.  Discernment requires the ability to pick through things that can be confusing or misleading and then moving toward the right decision.

Diligence

Proverbs 12:27b "...the precious possession of a man is diligence...."
 
Good stewardship, like most anything in life worth achieving,  is about pressing onward toward a goal or a purpose.  In our finances, it is this purpose that helps us to make good decisions for ourselves.  Decisions that help us to protect, preserve, and persevere. This attitude guides us to work with what we have and to try to improve our current scenario within the best of our abilities to reach those goals.


Take the first step

Ultimately a good financial stewardship happens when all of these skills are being exercised simultaneously, and there is no time like the present. It isn't easy and it doesn't always feel successful, especially when times and occasions surface that make you feel our of sorts or uncertain.

Remember, though, that our responsibility is to try, to persevere, and to resist the temptations that come along to distract us from our goals. So look at where you are today with your finances and in those areas that you know need some shoring up, start putting together a plan.

And when you're done with that, why not start planning for your next vacation.

                                                   



Oragami anyone?