{"id":159,"date":"2009-04-10T08:42:44","date_gmt":"2009-04-10T15:42:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/?p=159"},"modified":"2009-07-08T07:15:55","modified_gmt":"2009-07-08T14:15:55","slug":"thriving-in-tough-times-part-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/success\/thriving-in-tough-times-part-4","title":{"rendered":"Thriving in Tough Times Part 4"},"content":{"rendered":"

Living a Stewardship Lifestyle<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em> (Luke 12:20)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Last week I promised I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d give you a 100% guaranteed way to achieve economic success. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got to warn you in advance this is top secret stuff. Well \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 not really top secret, but it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s so rarely used it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s just as good as top secret. <\/span>And the success strategy I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m about to give you comes highly recommended \u00e2\u20ac\u201c right from the top. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s pretty radical stuff, but it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s guaranteed for life. Got a pencil? Ready for it? Here you go:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Sell your possessions and give to the poor.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/em>(Luke 12:3 and Matthew 19:2)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Sell everything you have and give to the poor.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em> (Luke 18:22)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em> (Acts 2:45)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153From time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he has need.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em> (Acts 4:34)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Oh \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/span><\/p>\n

Not what you were expecting?<\/span><\/p>\n

I know it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not what you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re used to hearing from all those great \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcsuccess\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/em> seminars you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve attended. Those guys usually side-step this particular strategy. But like I said, it comes highly recommended. Jesus gave this success talk a couple of times and he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the King of kings and the ruler of the universe \u00e2\u20ac\u201c can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get much higher than that. And this strategy seemed to be standard operating procedure for Jesus\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 first followers – you know, those folks in Acts who started the church.<\/span><\/p>\n

And, I know, this particular success strategy has kind of fallen out of style in the last 1,800 years or so; but you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d think with Jesus recommending it and those first believers practicing it, the idea has to have at least a little validity. I wonder why people aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t so keen to incorporate it into their financial planning anymore?<\/span><\/p>\n

Maybe it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s because we like to own stuff. Owning stuff is neater than sharing and it gives us a real sense of accomplishment. I can keep score of how good I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m doing by tallying up the stuff I own. I also get a great sense of security from the stuff I own. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s why I save for retirement \u00e2\u20ac\u201c if I get enough stuff saved up now, everything will be hunky dory later. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be able to sit back and relax; just me and my pile of stuff.<\/span><\/p>\n

I remember a story about a guy who had made it big in agriculture \u00e2\u20ac\u201c I mean big. He had so much stuff that his most pressing problem was where to keep it all. This guy actually had to tear down his old warehouses and build bigger warehouses to fit all of his stuff in. After the new warehouses were finished and all the stuff was inside he decided that he could finally relax. Unfortunately, the guy fell over dead the night after he finished filling his last warehouse.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bummer.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the tricky thing about stuff. You think it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s going to take away your worries about life and then you drop dead anyway. And then what happens to your stuff?<\/span><\/p>\n

I went shopping at Sam\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Wholesale Club yesterday. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s like Stuff Disneyworld. If you like stuff, Sam\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s is your place. I always gravitate toward the book aisle \u00e2\u20ac\u201c funny that. Anyway, I found a book titled, The Boomer Burden: Dealing with your Parents\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Lifetime Accumulation of Stuff<\/span><\/em>. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve come a long way \u00e2\u20ac\u201c from \u00e2\u20ac\u0153sell your possessions and give to the poor\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/em>to the burden<\/em> of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Dealing with your Parents\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Lifetime Accumulation of Stuff.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em> I guess the moral to this story is, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153You can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t take it with you and your kids don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want it either.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

So, my whacky success advice, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153sell your possessions and give to the poor,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em> might not be so whacky after all, huh? But let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not get ahead of ourselves; we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll cover, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153sell your possessions and give to the poor,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em> some day in the advanced<\/em> success class. This is the beginner<\/em> success class, so I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll give you an easy one to get started with: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153practice a stewardship lifestyle.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em><\/strong> What that means in American is, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153treat every asset (all your stuff, all your money, all your talent, all your time, all your etc.) as if someone else owns it and you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been hired to manage it and turn a profit.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a good reason for treating everything you have as if someone else owns it. Someone else owns it. The Bible is a book about stewardship \u00e2\u20ac\u201c about taking care of something for Someone else. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been that way since the beginning. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em> (Genesis 2:15)<\/span><\/p>\n

The Bible is full of stewardship stories. Here\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s one of my favorites.<\/span><\/p>\n

A rich man was going on a trip so he called his business managers together for instructions while he was gone. He gave his top manager $5,000, his middle manager $2,000 and a lower level manager $1,000. He told them to put the money to work while he was gone. The first two managers went to work right away; the third manager, a bit freaked out over the responsibility he had just been given, buried the money to keep it safe.<\/span><\/p>\n

The rich man returned from his trip and called his managers together to find out what had become of his money. The first two managers reported that they had doubled their boss\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s investment giving him back twice what he had originally given them.<\/span><\/p>\n

The rich man was tickled over how well his two employees had done; he told them, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Look, the money I gave you guys was just a test to see how you would treat something I entrusted you with. The reason I left town was to make a deal for two new companies. You two have done so well and proven to me that I can trust you. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d like each of you to run one of the new companies. And keep the money I gave you earlier as a signing bonus. It was never about that anyway.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

When the third manager showed up with just the original $1,000 he had been given, he said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Look boss, I know you play hardball and you expect to profit from other people\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s efforts. I kept your money safe and here it is.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

He was right about the boss playing hardball. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153You wicked and lazy manager!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/em>the boss yelled. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153You could at least put my money in the bank to draw interest!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/em>The boss called security, had the third manager thrown into the street, and gave his $1,000 to the first manager.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the point: What you think you own, you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s entrusted to you to make a profit. You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re a manager of His assets \u00e2\u20ac\u201c a steward. Being a steward and managing stuff is way better than being an owner. Here are few reasons why:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Thinking you own anything anyway is just a delusion. A flood or a fire or an economic downturn could sweep it all away tomorrow. And if you manage to keep your stuff until your die, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re still dead; your stuff doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t travel with you and your kids don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want it.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. If you take ownership you also take responsibility for the outcome \u00e2\u20ac\u201c who are you going to turn to after the flood, the fire or the economic downturn? You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re the big Kahuna, the owner, there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s nobody to look after you but you. If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re a steward, you work for the Boss. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s volunteered to make sure you get paid no matter what, as long as you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re working for him.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re better at being a manager than you are at being an owner. You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll do better with His assets than you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d do with your own – you were built that way. Besides, He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s going to hold you responsible for how well you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve managed His assets \u00e2\u20ac\u201c something to keep in mind.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. God created the universe according to His plan and purpose, being a steward of your little piece of that means that you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re on the same business plan as the rest of the universe. The whole company is pulling for you because you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re part of the same plan. That<\/em> can be handy.<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. God keeps his promises and has an awesome bonus plan. As long as you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re working for Him, He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s promised to meet your daily needs; food, drink, clothing, etc. If you turn a profit, He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s promised to add to it and put you in charge of even bigger things.<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. As His steward you really can take it with you. The plan is bigger than just the stuff we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got or haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t got today. Today we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re stewards managing His property while He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s gone. There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll come a day when He returns and on that day something pretty incredible happens. We go from stewards to heirs – from servants to sons and daughters. This earth \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the one God gave Adam to manage? It becomes our inheritance. Sweet.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    *****<\/span><\/p>\n

    This week we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve covered how not owning anything is the only way you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re ever going to achieve 100% guaranteed success. Next week we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going to talk about how to go from ownership to stewardship.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Until then, remember the end game:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Then the King will say to those on his right, \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcCome you who are blessed of my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em> (Matthew 25:34)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Last week I promised I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d give you a 100% guaranteed way to achieve economic success. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got to warn you in advance this is top secret stuff. Well \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 not really top secret, but it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s so rarely used it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s just as good as top secret.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[186,459,15,458],"tags":[462,463,460,448,461,466,464,465,437],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=159"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":312,"href":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159\/revisions\/312"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}