Stewardship. Stewardship and discipleship are one and the same. When we become a disciple, we also become a steward. I was reading just the other day about diet and nutrition, one of my hobbies. As I was reading, I came across the comment that a pound of fat is roughly equal to 3500-4000 calories. What does that have to do with stewardship? Everything in a way.
When my wife and I got married, I was roughly 380 pounds. I was a big fella. That’s at least 180 pounds more than I should have been. Even more so if some of those charts are right, and one of my doctors who indicates I should weigh about 180 pounds. That means that I alone had at one point in time enough fat on my body to have fed someone for an entire year. That really blows me away. That doesn’t count all the times that I’ve lost weight, and then put it back on… every one of those pounds counts too.
As a steward of God’s world, I believe we are responsible for every material possession that we get. We are supposed to use them for His glory, for His kingdom, for his children. Can I honestly say I am doing that if I consume enough of the food he gives me to gain hundreds of pounds, instead of using it to feed others? I know God still loves me. I know that he forgives me for my ‘gluttony.’ But I also know he wants me to do better.
What are some ways that we can take small steps to do better? What are some things we can do during Lent, to help us grow closer to God, and at the same time get our minds in the right place for the rest of our lives to give God glory?