Stewardship Archives - To Live As Christ

We Don’t Sail Alone

March 12, 2015 by brianmichaelsteck Leave a Comment

Warning: preg_match(): Compilation failed: invalid range in character class at offset 4 in /nas/content/live/liveaschrist/wp-content/plugins/lightbox-plus/classes/shd.class.php on line 1384

Warning: preg_match_all(): Compilation failed: invalid range in character class at offset 4 in /nas/content/live/liveaschrist/wp-content/plugins/lightbox-plus/classes/shd.class.php on line 700

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /nas/content/live/liveaschrist/wp-content/plugins/lightbox-plus/classes/shd.class.php on line 707

Warning: preg_match_all(): Compilation failed: invalid range in character class at offset 4 in /nas/content/live/liveaschrist/wp-content/plugins/lightbox-plus/classes/shd.class.php on line 700

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /nas/content/live/liveaschrist/wp-content/plugins/lightbox-plus/classes/shd.class.php on line 707

In “Mere Christianity“, C. S. Lewis describes the commonplace idea that our actions do not effect each other. He puts it this way: if we are all ships as part of an envoy, then we have three main objectives:

Don’t run into each other
Don’t sink or turn astray
Don’t neglect the ship that was lent to you

We seem to understand the first rule and socially frown upon those that interfere with the lives of others. But we seem to think that it’s perfectly fine if we behave wrongly, “because it only effects me.” That would be great if it were true.

But our actions and decisions don’t just effect us. The selfishness of suicide or the addiction to pornography… these violations of the rule of mankind are not secret and not secluded. Every decision we make has an effect on our own lives and those around us.

To think that our actions do not have consequence and that those consequences do not effect others is absurd. This thinking also ignores the third objective — this life we live and the body we possess is not our own. We cannot add one hair to our head or one day to our lives.

But we’ll answer to the One who can.

As you navigate the waters of right and wrong, choose obedience, not obstinance. Your life matters and, if surrendered to the Creator, has magnificent purpose. Just choose to submit to the author and designer of your ship and this world — He is both the shipwright and the cartographer — He knows best.

6 Words I Long To Hear

January 30, 2015 by brianmichaelsteck Leave a Comment

In Luke 19:11-27, Jesus tells the parable of Ten Minas, in which a master of noble birth (Himself) goes away to another city (Heaven) to become King and leaves his servants (us) the task of safeguarding and investing money (the Gospel) while He is gone. Upon His return, he speaks 6 words I long to hear:

“Well done, good and faithful servant.”

There is nothing like these words that make my eyes tear up and my heart fill with expectation. To be found faithful by my master is a profound joy and deep desire upon my heart.

How are you investing the “ten minas” that God has given you?

Do you long to hear these same 6 words?

What does it look like to be a faithful servant today?

Who are you investing your “minas” into?

The Wicked Servant

One striking element to me in this passage is the master’s response to the servant who merely maintained his investment. Jesus refers to him as a “wicked servant”. Harsh? Perhaps. Yet, if this is how the master, now King, responds to the servant, it makes me question if we haven’t placed a sufficient weight or priority on putting our experience of The Gospel in our lives to work.

It seems that we, as Christians, are in danger of misappropriating our energy and emphasis. The Gospel must be shared; and a danger that I see in our current society is that, in the United States, we believe we are a “christian nation”. America’s general consensus regarding the Gospel is, “We’ve already heard it and are uninterested,” which only proves that they never heard the Gospel — I know this because the Gospel, in it’s whole truth, is compelling and mind-blowing.

The Gospel

A King made himself a servant, enduring all the earthly pains that we experience. He freely offered himself as a sacrifice, being beaten and tortured on my (and your) behalf, to the point of death on a crucifix. But conquering death, he arose on the third day and re-appeared to hundreds of His followers. With grace and forgiveness, he invited all to be joint heirs in the Kingdom, leaving us with His Holy Spirit. He is returning and His Kingdom is at hand; we are entrusted with the glorious task of being ambassadors of His Kingdom until He returns. Our joy is not heaven and clouds and harps… it’s the mighty embrace of a King who is available to intimately engage on a daily basis and a front-row seat at watching Him bring His Kingdom to earth, one person at a time.

Pain, tears, sin and death are currently all being put in their proper place, as Christ’s footstool. Soon, every knee and every tongue will bow in humble adoration of the true King. There is nothing keeping you from His presence. He wants you, now… completely. He knows you and the darkest secrets of your past and they are not too much for His grace. He has a plan for your life, if you’ll only surrender to your creator — then, He will guide you into the fullness that you were created to be. Not a personality-drained God-robot, but a uniquely created expression of the One True and Holy God.

Really. I’m serious. He has SO MUCH in store for you.

Closing Prayer

“Lord, I pray that our lives would be a demonstration of the Gospel to those around us, but also that you would awaken our spirits to the opportunities around us to be your mouthpiece in gently and diligently guiding seekers into full devotion to Christ… for your namesake and glory!”

“Lead us into a full knowledge of you. We surrender our hearts and our will to you, and trust your plan for our lives. Have your will, that in the end you may be able to speak these words over me, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.'”

The Cost of a Latte

April 29, 2013 by brianmichaelsteck Leave a Comment

And now for something completely different.

My wife and I regularly go through our budget and try to find areas we can cut back, in order to be better stewards of our resources. “Dining: Snack” which equates to “Lattes” is always higher than we’d like or expect.

A few years ago, when I worked at Starbucks, we purchased a small Via Venezia Espresso machine using Christmas money, holiday sale prices and my employee discount. We’ll occasionally make lattes from home, but it’s so nice to walk around the corner to the local coffee shop (We’re in Old Colorado City, so Jives and Agia Sophia are our faves) and grab a drink from a smiling barista who does the prep and clean-up for you.

But what is that convenience costing us?

Being a self-professed (and quite frankly, others-confirmed) nerd, I opened up excel to see what a homemade latte costs. What are we spending on convenience?

Breaking down the cost of milk, syrup and espresso, I calculated the amount needed per drink and how many drinks were possible, based on the amount purchased. The summary: a homemade latte costs roughly $0.87 (not counting electricity and time).

Supposing that a latte at the nearby coffee shop costs about $4.00 after tax, that’s a $3.13 convenience charge to have someone make a latte for me. And maybe that’s worth it, every once in a while, because it supports the economy and the latte experience is certainly enjoyed.

Sobering thought

But, when I consider that more than 660 million people live on less than $2 a day, and more than 385 million on less than $1 a day, that convenience charge begins to look rather inconvenient. Ordering a latte doesn’t keep people in poverty; not ordering one doesn’t directly help, either. But being mindful of how we spend our resources can help free up funds that could potentially impact the world.

I like that a “latte”.

About Me

Subscribe Via Email

Book Recommendations