"Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager (steward, employee) must be faithful." (1 Cor. 4:2 NLT) Learning to live as an employee/steward of God and His resources versus an owner of my time, my talents, my treasures, etc., has been a problem for man ever since the Fall. For example, in the ultimate sense of the word none of us are business owners but business stewards/employees – we work for God. We will spend all day on August 27 at the Ignatius House studying our call as employees of God and the time, talents, treasures, truth (Scripture), trials, and relationships that He entrusts to us day by day during our brief sojourn on this earth. The stewardship of trials that the Lord uses to shape us into the image of Jesus (Rom. 8:28-29) will be our focus today. (See http://www.kenboa.org/heart-chart.pdf)
Scripture says that the Lord gives blessings and trials as the Sovereign Lord over all of our life and circumstances. "The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths."(Psalm 135:6) "The LORD gave ("blessings") and the LORD has taken away ("trials"); may the name of the LORD be praised." (Job 1:21) So both the blessings and "good things" we have and the trials and "bad things" we have are from God to be used for His glory and purposes in our life (spiritual growth) and the lives of others (ministry). (See Rom. 11:36)
As simple as it may sound "it is all in the way you look at it" is the key to righteously and wisely dealing with (stewarding) trials and disappointments. Fallen man has one "perspective" (means to look through) and God and His Word give us another "perspective" on trials. The major paradigm shifts we are called to make in our perspective of life are as follows: 1) The outward image vs. the inner heart/character – "But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Sam. 16:7)
2) The visible, material world vs. the invisible, spiritual world – "Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God."(Col. 3:1-3 NLT)
3) The temporal vs. the eternal perspective – "For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever."(2 Cor. 4:17-18 NLT)
Since the Fall man is born spiritually dead and our character is "deformed." God is at work to transform us, conform us, reform us, form Christ in us and change us from the inside out. Our temporal, outward, material focus causes us to miss one of the clearest messages of Scripture – that God is primarily about CHANGING US ON THE INSIDE THROUGH TRIALS (AND BLESSINGS TOO) TO LOOK MORE LIKE JESUS NOW AND FOR ALL ETERNITY. We focus on changing our outward circumstances and other people to improve our life on earth. It is fine to do this if God leads us but the first focus is to always be on the inside – my spiritual, internal and eternal soul. After all, the only person I will take to the judgment seat of Christ is ME.
"For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren." (Rom. 8:29)
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." (Rom. 12:2)
"That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death." (Phil. 3:10)
"Who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself." (Phil. 3:21)
"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." (2 Cor. 3:18)
"My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you…" (Gal. 4:19)
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." (Matt. 7:1-5)
Let Go by François Fenelon
"I have no doubt that God considers you to be one of His friends; otherwise He would not trust you with so many crosses, sufferings and humiliations. Crosses are God's means of drawing souls closer to Himself. And these crosses accomplish His purposes much more rapidly and effectually than all of our personal efforts put together. Crosses destroy self-love at its very root, down in the depths of the human spirit where we can hardly detect it. But God knows where it is lodged, and He attacks it in its greatest strongholds. If we have strength and faith enough to trust ourselves completely into the hands of God, and follow Him wherever He leads us there will be no need of stretching and straining to reach perfection. But since we are so weak in faith, and always stopping along the way to ask questions, our journey is lengthened and we get behind in spiritual development. So you see how important it is for you to abandon yourself as completely as possible to God, and continue to do so until your last breath. And don't be afraid. He will never leave you.
Discussion Questions FOR APPLICATION OF GOD'S WORD
What did the Lord say to you through this message?
Discuss this statement in light of the passage in Hebrews below: Our temporal, outward, material focus causes us to miss one of the clearest messages of Scripture – that God is primarily about CHANGING US ON THE INSIDE THROUGH TRIALS (AND BLESSINGS TOO) TO LOOK MORE LIKE JESUS NOW AND FOR ALL ETERNITY. We focus on changing our outward circumstances and other people to improve our life on earth. It is fine to do this if God leads us but the first focus is to always be on the inside – my spiritual, internal and eternal soul. After all, the only person I will take to the judgment seat of Christ is ME. "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." (Heb. 4:12-13)
What does the message below mean regarding the stewardship of trials? Why are triumph (blessings) and disaster (trials) called "imposters"?
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
and treat those two impostors just the same;
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And–which is more–you'll be a Man, my son!
(From the poem IF by Rudyard Kipling)
"Crosses (trials, disappointments, disasters) are God's means of drawing souls closer to Himself. And these crosses accomplish His purposes much more rapidly and effectually than all of our personal efforts put together. Crosses destroy self-love at its very root, down in the depths of the human spirit where we can hardly detect it." (Fenelon) How does this change your perspective?
Scripture memory verse: "For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever." (2 Cor. 4:17-18 NLT)
IF by Rudyard Kipling
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream–and not make dreams your master,
If you can think–and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings–nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And–which is more–you'll be a Man, my son!