Stewardship Has Mighty Dividends

Stewardship of our thought life, our time, our bodies, and our relationships pays huge dividends!

I just finished a 40-Day Sugar Fast with a few others in a Facebook group, and the most surprising dividend from that experience for me is mental clarity. I did it to detox from Thanksgiving and Christmas cookies, but I realized journeying with others, brought benefits beyond the physical.

The clear thinking helps me process conversations better (listen attentively), show grace, and manage my time. The spiritual component came in with daily scriptures and focusing on God. There was a time in my life when I felt all these elements were out of control or never quite in sync.

Maybe you can relate to a thought life immersed with raising children and the next big activity. Perhaps your time was split between working, cooking, cleaning, and running children to events, too.

Although I was blessed to work part-time and give my family my full attention, stewardship of my time did not come easy. I can only imagine how difficult it is for the parents working full-time!

Still, with all the activity, I did not see dividends coming in steadily. Maybe, I was just too busy to notice.

Spiritual Dividends

Dividends are a return on an investment. So, how you and I steward our thoughts in everyday tasks and situations now, will determine our rewards later.

For instance, when we steward our thoughts on God and His plan for our redemption and protection, our return is peace. The shalom of full contentment in every circumstance can be the forefront of our thoughts because we trust our Father to care for us and those we love.

Life’s demands on the other hand, make stewardship of our time a little trickier. There are so many days we feel pulled in several different directions to complete our list, it’s hard to prioritize what to do first.

I think the words if Isaiah teach us what is wisest to do the minute, we open our eyes:

“The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.”

Isaiah 50:4

Time spent in God’s word first thing in the morning prepares our thoughts and our souls for the day’s challenges. Praying for the connection with Him in our Spirit also guides us to place what He prioritizes most, first.

The dividend is less stress, an increased sense of purpose, and rest.

The rest our bodies long for, is the kind of rest from people pleasing, meeting the world’s expectations of success, and materialism.

Physical & Emotional Dividends

The fuel we fill our bodies with matters too! God gives us all the nourishing plants in gardens around the world to meet our needs at the cellular level. Therefore, stewardship of our bodies includes choosing wisely from the abundant provision He provides over ultra-processed foods that steal our health.

We are stronger, well rested, and functioning at our best with His goodness from the garden.

As we begin to combine the qualities of stewardship in our thoughts, our time, our bodies, and our relationship with the Father, the enriching of relationships with family and friends naturally follow.

You may be like me and expect dividends to pay big this week, and they may! However, they usually come much later, in the celebrations of life. The times when we look back and see our children are thoughtful in their choices, kind in their giving, studious in their learning, and generous in their spirit.

Possibly the best part is when they marry and begin a family of their own and you see them sharing the poured-out love from your heart in their own families.

Take a moment today, my friend, and see where stewardship in these areas is abundant in your life. How are you blessing others with faithful stewardship in your thought life, time, body, and relationships?

I am here for you if you need a faith-based RN Health and Wellness Coach! My greatest passion is to see believers live the full life God calls us to live! He has given us everything we need spiritually and physically to do so!