Sometimes I like to toast an English muffin in the morning. I slide the halves into the toaster, wait a minute and, voila, a warm tasty treat is enjoyed. But here is the thing: My toaster doesn’t have a small generating station inside of it, nor does it have a battery. So where does the power come from? In my case it comes from an electrical power station miles away from home. This begs the question: How does the power get from there to here?
The answer is “current.” Current is a word from old Latin meaning “to run.” It means moving from one place to another. Flowing. Circulating. I plug my toaster into the wall socket and the current flows to the toaster that heats the muffin that makes my morning delightful. Easy peasy.
Money is nothing more than current. In fact, we call it “currency” for that reason. It isn’t much in and of itself, but it transfers power from one place to another. I take the power in my station and turn it into food-power in Guatemala. I take the power in my station and let it flow into curriculum-power for my church’s children’s ministry. I take the power in my station and transfer it into homeless-shelter-power 30 miles away.
It is good to pray from time to time, “Lord, where can I transfer my power to help you? I can’t be there, O God, but I can still energize your work from wherever I am. I have the power and I have the currency. Show me where it needs to go.”
That, dear friends, is stewardship. We have been given power from above. We let it flow where it needs to go. Lives are transformed. God smiles. Easy peasy.
Would your church like help building stronger stewardship? Our Foundation is here to help. Give us a shout by clicking here or calling 877-391-8811.
Follow and Like us on Facebook.
Glenn Howell
Director of Development
United Methodist Foundation of Indiana
Recent Comments