STEWARDSHIP 2

“IF YOU ARE FAITHFUL IN LITTLE THINGS, you WILL be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities."
Luke 16:10 (NLT)

• In the first part of this TEACHING, who a steward is was made known to us, also how to be a good steward of our Time was shared, and other important things.

• In this piece, I will be sharing the conclusive part of the teaching, which has to do with talents, or the gifts of God in your life, and how to be a good steward of them.

II. Talent or ability (Matthew 25:14,15)
• A Dictionary defines TALENT as a natural ability to do something well.

• Talents are God given, thus we are accountable to God For the talents or gifts given us individually by God: "In his grace, GOD HAS GIVEN US DIFFERENT GIFTS FOR DOING CERTAIN THINGS WELL. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you" (Romans 12:6 NLT).
• Whatever talent you have been given by God should be used to glorify His name, By using it to bless others: "A SPIRITUAL GIFT IS GIVEN TO EACH OF US SO WE CAN HELP EACH OTHER" (1 Corinthians 12:7 NLT).
  WHATEVER ability you have is for the profit of the body of Christ, the Church of the living God.
• We are given Talents, abilities, to occupy the world till Jesus COMES (KJV).
  NEW King James version of Luke 19:13 says: "So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘DO BUSINESS TILL I COME.’ "
• You occupy, do business, for God with the time, Talents, abilities, Money, or whatever you have been given by Him.
  WHATEVER you know to do well, which you have ability for, should be used to occupy, or do business for Him.
• Know that your achievements are the products of the abilities given you by God.
  ALL you have is given to you By God; not By your smartness, human wisdom, good financial management, or cleverness: "Remember the Lord your God. HE IS THE ONE WHO GIVES YOU POWER TO BE SUCCESSFUL, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath" (Deuteronomy 8:18 NLT).

"AS EACH ONE HAS RECEIVED A GIFT, MINISTER it to one another, AS GOOD STEWARDS OF THE MANIFOLD GRACE OF GOD."
1 Peter 4:10 (NKJV)

• Admonishments

• You should see yourself as a Steward in the matters of your material Blessings. See God as the Owner, that you are just a trustee!
  IF this stance or position is not taken, whatever happens or affects your possessions tends to affect you negatively.
• Believers who see themselves as the owners of whatever they have, such are in the Financial or material bondages.
• Being a Steward, you have to be faithful in All your dealings; financial and material matters in general.
  IF you are not faithful in a little thing, you cannot be put over much.
• God is interested in how you manage what [money] He has allowed to pass through your hands.
  IF you are reckless in spending, that is, you are lacking in wisdom on management of finances, you are NOT prudent; God would want to train you that you may know how to use any little amount of money to achieve much, or do Great things for Him. GOD IS AGAINST WASTEFULNESS!
• If you are wasteful in your handlings of money, He may allow you to pass through Financial drought that you may learn how to manage the little amount permitted to pass through your hands—to achieve much.
  APOSTLE Paul in his experience says: 11 Not that I speak in regard to need, FOR I HAVE LEARNED IN WHATEVER STATE I AM, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I HAVE LEARNED BOTH TO BE FULL AND TO BE HUNGRY, BOTH TO ABOUND AND TO SUFFER NEED. 13 I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME" (Philippians 4:11-13 (NKJV)
• God knows whether you are faithful or not, accountable or not; in the little thing that He has committed to your hands.
  AND how you handle the little being committed to your hands now, determines the level of blessings that would be committed to your hands in the future.
  GOD knows if you could not manage well, or use wisely, the few hundreds or thousands of money given you now, how would you handle the bigger amounts which He has the Plans to release to you, in order to FULFIL what you have been assigned to do.

• Note: If God has instructed you to embark on a project: either to build, go on a mission work, fulfil a particular assignment, or whatever; know that He may not release the whole money needed for the assignment.
HE would want you to start, take a step, with the little amounts that you have with you. Money may not be released in abundance for whatever you are instructed to do!

• God would want you to start with that small amount with you, and as you proceed in the assignment, He would meet you on the way.

• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
Peace!