A Steward's Meditation By Andrea Capuyan

A Steward’s Meditation – Calibrating My Heart and Mind to The Master’s Voice

As a steward my choice to pause and meditate allows me to continually calibrate my heart and mind to the Master’s voice. The spiritual practices of prayer, contemplation and reflection strengthen the bond of trust between me and God, my owner. Because when I pause and meditate on His desires and His will only then I can appropriately act on His behalf in His Kingdom. Knowing Him frees me to humbly act under the appointment of His authority. Otherwise I can get caught in my own goals and agenda, and fight to build a “personal empire.” An empire which might appear to be good, but is unsustainable for it is built by selfish ambition. And an empire which competes with God’s Kingdom, and therefore, is fundamentally an enemy of God.

WHOA! An intentional practice of meditation and contemplation creates a pathway for me to continually abide with God, and release my agenda to Him.

Recently, I attended The Stewardship Summit which I have found to be an opportunity where God tunes my heart and mind once again to Him. It’s become a personal time for me reflect on my life as God’s steward, and consider how God is asking me to grow and change.

Through thoughtful presentations and rich discussions I am challenged to integrate a steward’s mindset more deeply in my life.

Three steward concepts which resonate for me are:

1. Generous stewards reflect the abundant generosity of God across all generations – in all places and at all times.
2. God entrusts us to be stewards of justice and mercy for human flourishing in His Kingdom.
3. God’s stewards are wise in how we manage all the resources He gives us, but also we are mindful about how we attain those resources at our disposal.

Simple statements which invite me to pause and meditate on how God might wish to shift my thinking, unmask selfish motives or uncover unhealthy beliefs. And like many ‘mountain top’ experiences, far too often the temptation exists to jump back into the daily grind, and just trust that something good stuck. Perhaps you like me experience a season of learning, yet find that your calendar affords you little time to digest.

I am using the three concepts above as an invitation to a season of meditation, contemplation and reflection. Through writing in my journal and talking to God, I am thinking about these concepts in my life and what God might be up to.

I ask these questions of confession and gratitude:

• What about myself am I most attached to? Am I willing to have less so others might have more?
• What is prohibiting me from giving and receiving justice and mercy from God? And with others?
• When have my actions robbed others of their humanity? Where is my desire for security and wealth causing the suffering of others?
• Is there a financial debt God might be asking me to forgive?
• God, where am I demanding my own way?
• What does God’s abundant generosity look like in my life?
• What does it mean to me that God is a good Master?

I invite you to join me and meditate on these concepts and questions for a season – perhaps a day, a week or a month. Our Master desires to change the heart and mind of a steward as much as He wishes to impact the world through His stewards. May His Kingdom first have dominion and fruitfulness in us.

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Andrea Leigh Capuyan is the Executive Director of Laurel Pregnancy Center.

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