Everyday Stewardship (Pentecost 2015)

My oldest son was having a tougher time than expected in his first year of college. In high school he expected to get A’s and be one of the smarter kids in the class. Now, he was at a school where everyone came from a similar experience in high school, and he found himself pretty darn average. His mother and I urged him early on to seek some help from a tutor. He gasped. When he was in high school, he WAS the tutor. After some reflection he said, “I just like to do things on my own.”

So often many of us are like that. We find it hard to accept help. We think maybe it says something about our lack of capability or skill to reach out for help. When help is offered to us, we can quickly respond, “No thanks, I’m fine.” It is amazing how sometimes we are anything but fine.

Living a stewardship way of life as a committed disciple of Jesus is not easy. In fact, we are guaranteed to fail. That inevitable failure is called sin. Grace makes it possible for us to continue on the journey. On that first Pentecost, the first followers of Jesus received the Holy Spirit who would guide them. For over 2000 years, that same Spirit moves in us and guides us. Help for the journey is always available. Sin and temptation constantly seeks to impede our steps. But through the gifts of this Spirit we can discern and make wise judgments, lessening the toll life can exact on us. Reach out and take the hand of God allow His Spirit to lead you and guide you. Don’t look back after making the journey harder than it used to be and say, “I just liked doing things on my own.” You are never alone.