Ldg w/ Wisdom, Vision & Value
1.2 Devotion. The Good Steward, Part 1
Getting Started
The Good Steward: Part 1 – Reality
Most of us have things we are fond of and even collect. A look around the office might reveal books, sports memorabilia, figurines, or any number of other items that possess a degree of intrinsic and extrinsic worth to us. However, what happens to “all of that” upon our death? Perhaps a spouse or children will inherit those things. But, will those items have the same value to the heir? Over and over the same story emerges. Heirs may preserve a few items that are meaningful to them, but much of what we spend our life collecting or adoring gets donated or disposed. Similarly, all of those things that we thought we “owned,” will survive us, and someone else will be called upon to determine what happens to them next.
So, what do we truly own? Sometimes we feel like what we have worked for and achieved is “ours.” But the reality is that everything we build and possess is only “ours” for a short period of time. Thus, we are not owners – we are stewards – entrusted with the care of resources for the short time we inhabit the earth. Thus, the important question is: are we good stewards?
The same is true of every leader. Leaders are not owners of resources as much as they are stewards of resources. The move from an owner mentality to a steward mentality can represent a substantial shift in perspective. During LDR-410: Leading with Wisdom, Vision, and Values, you are going to explore the nature of being a steward – a good steward. You will read a scripture passage each week and reflect on a key term or idea about stewardship as well as other implications for your owner à steward shift in thinking and doing as a leader.
Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to:
· Recognize strong leadership skills through leaders in the Bible.
Background Information
Read(new tab) / Listen(new tab) to Deuteronomy 8, paying close attention to verses 17 and 18.
Workshops two through 6 will examine the good steward theme as it emerges in Luke’s gospel. However, for this workshop, we need to investigate a foundational theme imprinted in Scripture. The Bible proclaims, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it” (New International Version Bible, 1973/1984, Psalm 24:1(new tab) ). The biblical answer to the question – who owns it all? – is God! He is the only, real owner of anything.
In the book of Deuteronomy (where our reading for this workshop comes from), Moses recalls (Deuteronomy literally means repetition of the law) God’s work to lead the Israelite people out of their time of bondage in Egypt and toward the “promised land.” In chapter 8, Moses warns the people not to forget God’s ownership and work. He is the source of all that they have now and in the future. Even though they have had to (and will) work hard to build their nation, Moses points out that God gave them such ability. The biblical testimony of reality is: God owns it all. God provides our abilities. We are not owners. We are stewards.
After you have read the passage, consider the following prompts:
1. As you think about your life and your work as a leader, what has been your reality to this point? That is, in what ways have your attitudes and actions been more consistent with being an “owner” or being a “steward?”
2. If you have a perspective different from a Christian worldview, what does that perspective suggest about the reality of “to whom things belong?”
3. What might you be holding onto or managing currently (e.g., possessions, processes, people) in ways that suggest your ideas about reality are more owner-oriented than steward-oriented?
4. What are some initial ideas on how you could begin to make an owner/steward shift in those areas?
5. Based on the above prompts and upon your perceptions of wisdom as presented in the course so far, how might wisdom integrate with stewardship or being a good steward? Be specific.
Instructions
1. Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.
2. Review the Bible text and prompts provided in the Getting Started and Background Information sections.
3. Write a one-half to one-page reflection paper (Word document; @250 words double-spaced = 1 page) that shares your thoughts/perspectives on the themes of this devotional and submit it using the assignment submission link below by the sixth day of the workshop week. Be sure to apply APA formatting guidelines.
4. You do not need to “answer” each of the prompts. Rather, use them to stimulate your thinking. Then, write a meaningful discussion of the important insights or even questions that emerge during your reflection.