These are portentous times. The lives of many are being sacrificed unnecessarily to the gods of war, greed, and avarice. The land is being desecrated by the thoughtless waste of vital resources. You must obey my commandments and be in the forefront of those who would mediate this needless destruction while there is yet day.
[Adapted from Choose Generosity: Discovering Whole-Life Stewardship, Herald Publishing House, 2019, pp. 15–16]
As our faith community sought to live God’s guidance in the early stages of the Restoration movement, it meant responding with their whole lives. As the call to build Zion was expressed, faithful disciples were willing to disrupt their lives to move to new places. They shared all they had to help create Zion, understood as God’s kingdom on Earth.
Our Restoration story began with the connection between discipleship, stewardship, and the call to build Zion. It continues to be a critical part of our faith movement. This call is about using our whole life in a way that helps bring about God’s purposes on the Earth. It is not focused on just a portion of our life. It expands the question of how we can be generous to every aspect and every day of our life.
Instead of pondering what we will return to God, whole-life stewardship asks how we generously use everything for God’s purposes. It is not just about what we return to God through tithing of our time, talent, treasure and testimony. It is also how we use what we keep in a way that remains faithfully focused on God’s purposes.
In the end whole-life stewardship is always about choosing. We recognize that God’s unearned blessings continue to flow regardless of our choices as this is the nature of God’s Grace and Generosity. However, God is always inviting us to choose to align our own nature in a way that helps reveal God’s generous love to others and to all creation. When we commit our whole life to God by living Christ’s mission, we will be doing our part in helping bring about God’s vision of shalom on Earth.
Prayer Phrase
“We, who are many, are one body in Christ” (Romans 12:5).
Spiritual Practice
Spiritual Learning
Meditate on a time when you learned about community from someone who took you in, fed you, taught you, shared stories and wisdom with you. What did you learn? Prayerfully create a list of qualities you need to learn from spiritual mentors and friends. Then write the names of people who serve as teachers, models, coaches, or encouragers in your life as a disciple. Offer a prayer of gratitude and blessing for these spiritual “relatives” and friends.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.