Is God Your Lord or Your Steward?

I took a walk through the meadows and wooded trails of Kirkhaven a few days ago. The black-raspberries were beginning to ripen, so I picked a few to make some ice-cream topping. Clover, wild roses, and honeysuckle were blooming everywhere, leaving gentle scent bouquets wafting in the breeze. My son’s hunting dog, Pike, gleefully ran ahead of me, sniffing for critters in the brush, as I silently meandered in and out of cool shade patches.

My heart was overwhelmed with the goodness and the bounty of the Lord. Everywhere I looked, I saw mature poplar and oak trees I had not planted . . . thriving berry patches I had not tended . . . sun-bathed meadows of daisies I had not watered. Even the beautiful chirping and singing of blue birds, cardinals, and wood thrushes didn’t need my direction or care to serenade the summer afternoon.

In that simple, quiet walk, the God-ness of God completely overwhelmed the me-ness of me.

In a sense, I knew that I owned the land I was walking on.
I could see the red barn we had built with its newly finished chicken coop . . .
and hear our rooster practicing his crowing.
I could stroll beside earthy-smelling herbs in our lush, green garden . . .
and pick a hand-full of sweet peas for our evening salad.
I could look across the western meadow toward the well and the nearly-finished pond . . .
and dream about next year’s fishing ventures.

The seeds of our dreams and the plans of our hearts and the work of our hands were clearly evident on the landscape of my ridge-top home. And I knew that very soon, David’s red truck and Rachel’s gray car would roll down our gravel road . . . coming home from work . . . bringing fellowship, laughter, and joy with them.

All of these things were rich, colorful, threads being woven into the tapestry of my life.

But the overwhelming joy in my heart was not rooted in all the things my husband and I had done to build our family farm. The freedom I felt was in knowing that Kirkhaven was God’s property . . . His possession . . . not mine. And I was His possession, too. It was God’s loom that held the warp in place and His Hand that skillfully wove every specially-chosen welt. He was the weaver. He was Lord.

Whatever we believe about ourselves and our lives here on this earth,
we really need to know this crucial truth:

The bounty and the goodness are the Lord’s.
We are simply stewards.

Sometimes the people of God become entangled in error . . .
perhaps even dabbling in idolatry . . .
when they begin to think that they are the artists of their lives.

We can easily make the mistake of believing that
commendable accomplishments
or virtuous behavior
or disciplined habits
or cheerful demeanors
or charitable actions
or educated opinions
or enduring friendships
or healthy choices
or loving families
or prosperous lifestyles . . .

that all of these things
can be wielded as beautiful instruments
in our own hands
as we sculpt and paint and create our own living masterpieces . . .
life as we see it . . .
as we think it should be . . .
interpreted through our own, unique flourishes of texture and color.

Our own masterpieces.

But it is a grave mistake to believe any such things.

Because when we begin to believe that we are the creator . . . the gifted artist . . . , then we start to think of God as our steward. His character becomes a storehouse from which we gather riches for our kingdom. His Goodness becomes our birthright. His Mercy becomes our presumptuous expectation. His Healing becomes our much treasured prize. His Grace becomes our crown and glory. The things of the Kingdom of God become resources in the kingdom of me. And resources, as any good economist will tell you, can be bought and sold in the marketplace if you have the right currency.

A little insightful flattery.
A bit of well-timed denigration.
Eloquent application of promises and guarantees.
Artful use of cloaked warnings.
Creative splashes of humor and wit.
The right amount of hospitality mixed with a calculated measure of shunning.
A pinch of control here . . . a tweak of manipulation there.
It becomes far too easy to reach into our bag of royal coins and buy whatever reality we choose.

We become skilled in the nuances and craft of lordship
when we believe that heaven is our storehouse
and the hand of God is our ever-present valet.

Christians must not live this way.

The earth is the LORD'S, and all it contains,
The world, and those who dwell in it.
For He has founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the rivers.
Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?
And who may stand in His holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood
And has not sworn deceitfully.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
This is the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Your face—even Jacob.
Selah.
Psalms 24:1-6

He is the creator, the artist, the potter, the weaver at the loom.
We must be the stewards.

We are stewards, not lords.
And God cares very much about the hands and the hearts of His stewards.

For the grace of God has appeared,
bringing salvation to all men,
instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires
and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,
looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed,
and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession,
zealous for good deeds.
These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority.
Let no one disregard you.
Titus 2:11-15

Neither a happy life nor beautiful life-accoutrements truly indicate real Life in the Kingdom of God.

I sense, deep in my spirit, that God is calling His children to listen to Him.
To examine their gospel and see if it is the real Gospel.

There may be some very difficult times ahead of us. For many people, difficult times have already come. What will the canvas of our lives look like if the economy in America crashes? What story will our life tapestry tell if our Christian faith falls into dark social or political disfavor? What will be the testimony from our lips if the things we hold precious and dear are stolen or destroyed or fall away from us?

I believe the answers to these questions are dependent upon two factors:
Who is the Lord?
Who is the steward?

Are we the lord . . . the gifted artist . . . that creates the masterpiece of our life?
Or does the Lord God Almighty hold our life in the palms of His nail-scarred hands?

Is God the personalized steward of all our dreams and desires?
Or are we the faithful stewards of God’s costly, precious Truth?

Who is the Lord?
Who is the steward?
From whence does the goodness come?
Of whom is the testimony given?

But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;
I have made the Lord GOD my refuge,
That I may tell of all Your works.
Psalms 73:28