Christian stewardship is typically associated with giving time, talent, and treasure in service to God with gratitude for His bounty. Yet full participation as a Christian steward is not simply about what we give but also about how we live.
Gratitude is our way to demonstrate thankful appreciation for everything in our lives. Adopting an attitude of gratitude promotes happiness and wellbeing. Simply put, we cannot be hateful if we are grateful.
An anonymous author observes: “Money will buy a bed but not sleep, books but not brains, food but not an appetite, finery but not beauty, a house but not a home, medicine but not health, luxuries but not culture, amusement but not happiness, and a crucifix but not a Savior.” Our greatest treasure is found not in our material wealth, but in the richness of our faith in God. While our financial treasure should be used to support our spiritual treasure, the contribution we offer to God is a small token compared with the great blessings He bestows upon us.
In gratitude for all of the talents with which we are blessed, we use those skills to benefit others, to benefit the world, and to benefit God’s eternal Kingdom. “As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Peter 4:10).
We can’t stop it, we can’t store it, we can’t touch it, and we can’t change it. Time is one of our most precious gifts from God. This month, we explore the stewardship of time. In gratitude for all of time that God freely gives to us, for each of our earthly lives, and for the promise of eternal salvation, we dedicate a portion of our time to God through prayer, sacred studies, and execution of His good works.
Our Christian teaching supplements the four cardinal virtues with the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity (or love). These theological virtues elevate and perfect our habits, thus directing us toward the supernatural happiness that can only be achieved by our union with God. Theological virtues are infused in our souls through God’s gift of sanctifying grace.
The season of Advent gives us an opportunity to prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of Christ at the end of time, on the anniversary of his birth, and every day in between. “The Lord is coming, always coming,” notes the Reverend Henri Nouwen. “When you have ears to hear and eyes to see, you will recognize him at any moment of your life. Life is Advent; life is recognizing the coming of the Lord.”