Stewardship. Do you know what it means? Today, we are on the 21st Fundamental Belief of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. This belief is very important. Why? Because stewardship is God's way of helping His children find a balance between what is written and what is lived out! It is said that "Jesus talked much about money. Sixteen of the thirty-eight parables were concerned with how to handle money and possessions. In the Gospels, an amazing one out of ten verses (288 in all) deal directly with the subject of money. The Bible offers 500 verses on prayer, less than 500 verses on faith, but more than 2, 000 verses on money and possessions." - Christianity Today 2025.
And why is money so often mentioned by Jesus? Because it's God's way of helping His children balance what is written with what is lived out. When you give your tithe to the storehouse of God, you exercise the gift God has given you to balance your spiritual life. When you give that offering, you express, with a grateful heart, the reality of all that God blessed you with.
Giving back to God that which is entirely His, is a fascinating idea. We are made stewards of all that God has given into our care. And as stewards, what are we doing with what God has given unto us? How are we using His bountiful gifts? The answer to those questions are always to do whatever we can to make God not regret giving us those gifts, but sometimes . . . well . . . we just can't help ourselves make a mess out of God's gifts.
Repentance, grace, and patience from God make our misuse of His gifts still find a place where those gifts can have an impact. It always amazes me to see what God can do with the heart of a repentant child who misuses His gifts and then turns things around in his life by allowing God to make him a good and faithful servant.
God desires you to be a good and faithful servant. God desires you to reap the full benefits of a balanced life where what is written in His word is lived out in your life. As stated before, that balanced life leaves an impression that inspires! May you, this Sabbath, realize that God has blessed you with an opportunity to be His steward.
May you find the joy that accompanies the person that partners with God.
So, until the next time, this is Pastor Tello reminding you that thoughts do change lives!
Pastor Howard Tello