Wise Stewardship: Our Vision and Purpose

The mission of HealthKeeperz is, "Caring for all people for the glory of God." And as is the case for the success of any mission, there must be a plan for how it will be accomplished.  At HealthKeeperz, that's where our "Vision statement" comes into play.  It reads this way:
“HealthKeeperz will be a community of caregivers who deliver value as measured by:

• Wise Stewardship
  
• Business Growth
• Excellent outcomes and patient satisfaction
• Culture of Encouragement”
  

In the few moments that I have with you this month, and in a few following months, I want us to consider how the Bible shapes these four ideas.  So, for now, let’s focus on the concept of "Wise Stewardship."

In his book, Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis writes, "Every faculty you have, your power of thinking or of moving your limbs from moment to moment, is given you by God.  If you devoted every moment of your whole life exclusively to His service, you could not give Him anything that was not in a sense His own already."

This notion that God owns it all does not originate with Lewis.  Psalm 24:1 says, "The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live it." (NIV)  With this being true, where does this leave us?  We are stewards.  Just as in the beginning when Adam was placed in a garden that was not his and instructed to care for it that the garden might flourish, we too have been placed in a spot on the earth and at a time in history that we might do the works of God as His managers.  

You see, the idea of stewardship communicates an expectation of someone who is to manage the owners' possessions in a way that pleases them and advances their purposes.  Then no wonder HealthKeeperz has said that part of our vision is that we would exercise wise stewardship!  To accomplish God's purposes, we will need wisdom from above, heavenly wisdom.  

Deuteronomy 8:17 warns of the temptation to think that “. . . my power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." But God in His grace reminds us in the next verse, to “. . . remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth." So then, the strength of body and keenness of mind that contributes to our success in the mission is given by God.  And since this is true of our own personal abilities, that is, they belong to God, then it is certainly true of the other resources that we are afforded in the pursuit of His purposes.  Our time, supplies, and skill belong to God.

Here's some good news lest we begin to view God as some possessive, demanding tyrant.  Daily, He graciously pours out wisdom, strength, and resources so that we are amply supplied to not only fulfill the mission but flourish and be happy as we do it.  Remember, we are created in His likeness, and when God looked over all that His wisdom, strength, and resources produced at the creation of the world, He smiled and said, "this is very good."

Stewardship is nothing to dread.  It's what we were made for, and it's how we flourish. Amen.

Yours in Christ,
Chaplain James Chavis

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