Our Stories
Spending Yourself or Being Spent?
By Keith Ferrin | posted 07/08/2010
"You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
We spent five days last week at Family Camp. We hung out, ate fantastic food, worshiped, chatted, saw some fireworks, and even ate a pancake breakfast at the top of one of Rainier’s foothills. And while all of those memories keep bouncing around in my head, there is one thing that I heard that seems to pop up more frequently than the others. Believe it or not, it was said at the end of an announcement during one of the worship services.
The guy who was talking was from Covenant Trust Fund. Honestly, I can’t remember his name and since we already have a will, I wasn’t listening that closely. But the last thing he said was, "Let me end with a quote, ‘Stewardship is organizing your life so that God can spend you as He sees fit.’"
Organizing your life so that God can spend you. Hmmm... While he was talking primarily about financial stewardship as it applies to wills and trusts, I think this quote applies to...well...pretty much everything!
As most of you know, I’m not the most organized, detail-oriented person on the planet. But I certainly want God to be able to "spend me" as He sees fit! I wonder what steps - or even one step - I could take this week to organize my time, money, priorities, and energy so that God could spend me to further His kingdom.
Here’s the zinger - it actually takes some intentionality. I have to stop and think about how I’m spending my time, money, and energy. It’s so easy to just walk through a day and "wing it." After all...I’m busy. I’ve got a wife, three little kids, a couple jobs...and grass that seems to think that it needs to keep growing every week. Geesh!
But if I truly believe that I am not my own and that I have been "bought at a price" then I need to let the One who bought me...spend me.
What do you think? Are you spending yourself or "organizing your life so that God can spend you as He sees fit?"
Alongside,
Keith
Keith can be reached via email here.
