Steward well the gifts of God

S  gen 39
But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21 the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 22 So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. 23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.

Luke 16
10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?
13 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

O - These are both acccounts of how God looks at our stewardship of what He gives us.  In the case of Joseph,  we see that Joseph is entrusted with things after he faced great adversity, being sold into slavery,  and put in a dugneon.   Despite this he was trusted with the stewardship of Potiphers household, and even to the prison wardens daily runnings of the prison.   He did not let the power and priveledge of each position destract him from serving honorably his master and His God.   In the very same way Jesus teaches us in Luke that  God will give us things to steward.  The way we steward them will define us and our roles and trusts both here on earth and in heaven.

A - The application for me is to remember that God is with me,  but he wants me to grow in my trustworthiness of the resources he has given me, and the people he was put in my life.  I am to steward well the marriage, the finances, and the roles of father, son,  leader, worker.  I am to honor Him and represent Him in these jobs.

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for this teaching, and reminder.   I feel I have lost sight of my steward all the resources you have given me for your kingdom and your glory.  I must treasure my wife as you treasure her, I must raise my children in the ways they should go, growing up to know and love you,  and I must steward the finances and roles at work in a manor that honors you.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.