Cultivate Your Gifts

Jesus, Peter, James, and John went up Mount Tabor to pray. It is there that the disciples witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration:

“Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master is is good that we are here: let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijhah. But he did not know what he was saying. While he was still speaking a cloud came and case a shadow over them. And they became frightened when they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.” (Luke 9:32-35)

The disciples had a profound experience of the glory of God. It was only natural that they wanted to extend the experience and stay on the mountain for awhile longer by pitching tents and spending time with Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. But instead, the voice of the Father encourages them to listen to His Son. And Jesus does not keep them on the mountain. They return to the other disciples and the crowds of people starting to flock to Jesus in the hope that He would satisfy their needs.

Cultivating Gifts Takes Place in Relationship

Jesus sends us forth from the time we set aside to be with Him to go back into the world. At the heart of stewardship is the understanding that we are not isolated beings, independent from one another. Our faith is not just about “Me and Jesus”. His command was to love God and to love our neighbor. It must be both. He invites us to be His hands and feet in the world, bringing His love, mercy, and grace to those in need.

In order to meet those needs, we must first become aware of them. When we walk into our homes or workplaces or parish, do we ask the Lord, “Lord, what needs do You see? How can I help those I love the most or those I meet today encounter Your love? How can I help them know that You see them?” And then do we pay attention and listen?

Secondly, we must trust that if the Lord makes us aware of a need, He is going to make clear how He wants that need to be filled. It could be He’s asking us to do something. Maybe we notice a coworker is a little grumpy today and all that’s needed is a “Hey, you seem stressed today. I’m available if you’d like to talk about it.” Or maybe we’re a part of a ministry at the parish and we notice that the leader always seems a bit harried and disorganized. Is the Lord asking us to offer to assist with some administrative details that would free up that leader to excel at moving the ministry forward? It could also be that we know someone else who would be great at that and the Lord might be asking us to invite that other person to help out.

Thirdly, after asking the Lord to help us be attentive to the needs around us and trusting that He will show us how to fill the need, we then surrender to His Spirit to have His way and we act. If He is asking us to do something and we are responding, He will empower and equip us with all that we need to fulfill His will and to bring His love to those around us. In this way, we collaborate with Him in building up the Body of Christ.

Stewardship: A Response of Love

Stewardship is ultimately a response of love—a love for God, a love for others, and a love for the world He has entrusted to us. It means choosing to live with a mindset of abundance, not scarcity, trusting that everything we need will be provided as we “Listen to Him” and respond. As we reflect on our role as stewards, let us remember that every action, no matter how small, can be an offering to God. May we, as disciples of Jesus Christ, seek to live lives of active, responsible, and loving stewardship, trusting that as we give ourselves to His work, we will discover the fullness of life He desires for us.

And let us keep in mind His invitation to “Come and see”. This is perpetual invite: Come and see who Jesus is. Come and see what He wants to do in your life. Come and see how He is calling you to meet the needs of His people. Come and see the beauty of living as a faithful steward, trusting that as you give, you will receive even more in return.