Jesus was driven into the desert as we read in Mark 1:12-13, “At once the Spirit drove him out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan.” And this – right after being baptized. He trusted that God would provide for Him during those 40 days. To help Him get through it, surely He clung to the words God said to Him on coming up out of the water, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased (Mk 1:9-11).”
Living a stewardship way of life, putting God first in every area of our life, giving courageously of our Time, Talent, and Treasure, requires that we trust God. To live stewardship requires that we believe in our core that we are His children. And so we cling to His promise to provide, even in the midst of our desert, our trials and temptations. We know that God does not tempt us. Rather, we are tempted by our own desires (Jas 1:13-14). To help us stand firm and be confident that we can, in fact, trust God, we too hear Him say, “You are my beloved.”
So, don’t give in to the temptation of thinking you can’t afford to give, or that you need to buy things to be happy. Instead, be courageous, give generously. Be confident in your position as a child of God, and trust in His provision for you. Give and be a part of the majestic mission of the church to serve the poor and make an impact in your community. See if in doing that you don’t begin to have the sense of peace you truly seek.
Photo by Marion from Pixabay
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