Thoughtful Thursday & Stewardship
ON THE BLOG
STEWARDSHIP
When my children were young and all living at home, I struggled with yelling.
Looking back, I have a lot of compassion for that younger version of myself because I was doing the best I could.
I wanted my children to make wise decisions, to succeed, and to be happy.
However, when things didn't go the way I wanted, I would get angry and yell.
This pattern repeated itself because I had an ownership perspective over my kids and their lives.
I thought that their outcomes, whether good or bad, reflected on me, and it was my responsibility to control them.
Now, I am better able to see my children as one of my stewardship assignments.
This isn't always easy but we really aren't meant to do it alone.
I may still feel upset when one of my children makes a mistake or a choice that goes against my values.
However, I know that prayer is always available to me.
When I am ready, I can turn to prayer to receive instruction, inspiration, guidance, and strength through the Spirit.
This helps me fulfill my role as a steward of my children, just as the Savior would.
As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe in the doctrine of consecration.
This means that we dedicate everything we have to God to help build His Kingdom on earth.
In turn, God gives us certain responsibilities under the title of stewardships.
Stewardship means viewing everything we have and everything that we are as a gift from God and caring for it to honor Him.
When we view everything in our life from a stewardship perspective instead of an ownership perspective, we can move away from anxiety, judgment, control, and struggle and move towards charity—to love God and others.
So, my invitation to you is to think about the different stewardships in your life.
What is your perspective?
Is it one of ownership or stewardship?
How would your life be different if you saw yourself as a steward?
It's something to think about…
If you are interested in learning more about my thoughts on stewarship, I invite you to listen to this week's podcast episode, A Stewardship Perspective.
