Baseball season started last month, so I figured we could make a connection between a topic that puts people to sleep at conferences, as well as on the couch.
Well it’s true! How many stewardship lessons have you listened to without cracking a yawn? As for baseball, I can get through a game, but if it’s a Sunday and I’m tired, you better believe that I’ll catch some zzz’s while the game is on.
If there’s a true connection between the two it’s this: there are four cores to stewardship that I believe are sequential, just like a baseball diamond has four sequential bases that each runner goes to.
We’ll cover two of these today and finish the last two in the second part of the series.
A note on stewardship
Although we may subtly roll our eyes when we hear the word, the truth is that stewardship is one of the first lessons we read of in the Bible. It’s foundational for both our relationships and money!
I’ve heard it said that life is built on two main things: money and relationships. One of these will make you rich, and it’s not money.
Good stewardship has just as much to do with relationships as it does to do with money, which is why the first two bases cover the relational side of stewardship.
1st Base – Sharing Your Story
How can we expect someone to entrust us with greater responsibilities if they don’t know anything about us? This is the first key to refining a life of good stewardship.
Our history shapes us, and when we share it with others, they learn a little more about who we are and where we come from.
But, of course, this isn’t a one way street. There’s a careful balance between telling your story and listening to others share theirs. When you encourage someone else to share their background and genuinely get to know them, you start to build trust and respect for each other and the relationship can grow.
Whether we’re using these principles to better our family relationships, or relationships in the business world, we need to realize that it’s the first step to fostering a life of good stewardship.
2nd Base – Affirming Others
Affirmation is the fuel that drives relationships. We can’t expect to be an expert relational steward as soon as you ‘connect’ with someone. That’s not a relationship – that’s an acquaintance.
This one question will help spur you to the next level of relational stewardship: “Is there anything I can do for you?”
The response may be a financial need, or something completely different. You simply won’t know unless you ask. But when you do ask, you can expect this to happen:
- You’ll feel greater meaning in your life.
- You won’t lack in the friend department.
- You’ll never be out of work.
I’m not saying that doing this will guarantee you a career for life. I’m saying that affirming others and asking this one question will not only keep you busy, but will also bring satisfaction and joy that is difficult to match.
Do you know someone that really took the time to build a relationship with you? Can you see any of these traits in that person?
Tim is a personal finance writer at Faith and Finance a Christian financial help blog that provides financial insights for individuals, businesses, and churches. Outside of finance, Tim enjoys spending time with his wife, playing the saxophone, reading economics books, and a good game of RISK or Catan. Find him on Twitter and Facebook and subscribe to the Faith and Finance RSS feed.
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