MARYBETH MCGEE | GUEST
“I’m simply not being a good steward of my home, my grocery budget, or my belongings.” My overwhelmed mind said this to myself on repeat. The piles of laundry we affectionately called Mt. Washmore, mail and school papers cluttering the kitchen island, and drawers we struggled to open because they were always so full had turned our home into a place that was hard to clean and felt chaotic.
Toys I thought would help my kids be happy and content had become background noise, along with the familiar lie that “motherhood is messy.” Signs like “Excuse the mess, the children are making memories” reinforced the idea that this was just how everyone lived. Messy, full, and moderately overwhelmed.
But was that how people had to live? Were packed-full pantries with nothing to make an actual meal out of normal? Has anyone in the history of garages ever actually parked their cars in them? Weren’t they just for extra storage of things we never looked at?
In the Lord’s loving-kindness, John 10:10 smacked me in the face like a bag of out-of-season clothing falling from the top shelf of a closet.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
Regardless of the measures we take to protect ourselves and our property, the nature of the thief is to steal, kill, and destroy. Sometimes, that doesn’t look exactly like we may think.
When Stuff Steals Our Joy
We find this reminder in John 10 in the midst of Jesus’ teaching about Himself as the Good Shepherd. Following His healing of a blind man, Jesus confronts the Pharisees and uses the imagery of doors, sheep, and shepherds to explain the way to salvation. He identifies Himself as the Good Shepherd who cares for and protects His sheep. The thief presents himself as legitimate but ultimately is a counterfeit that seeks to harm rather than care for the sheep. Jesus, on the other hand, is the One who offers abundant life.
In my home, all the things we held on to for sentimental reasons, because they were useful, or, even worse, because they were expensive, had become yet another thief. My time had been stolen, my joy had been killed, and thoughts about my children deserving a better mother were destroying the peace I knew could be found in what God had specifically prepared us to do when He called and equipped us to adopt our boys. None of what we owned was bad or uncommon, but the way our home was functioning was, well, dysfunctional.
We had all the same things everyone else had: sentimental items, wedding china, movies, books, a backstock of almost everything, a large wardrobe, plenty of extra towels, dishes for every occasion, and home decor. Not to mention all the necessary extra kitchen gadgets.
You will never find a verse in the Bible that describes deciding whether you need a second can opener or determining the best process for sorting mail. I had been cautioned against using Scripture as a Magic 8 Ball to make every decision, and I couldn’t imagine that the Lord cared much about whether I purchased the entire line of gingerbread Christmas decorations at Hobby Lobby.
Stewarding What the Lord Provides
However, there is not one area of our lives that is exempt from the application of Scripture. A quick glance at Exodus 25–31 reveals that God cares very much about details such as the colors of the tabernacle’s furnishings and where things are placed. We also see an underlying example of stewardship in the way God provided the Israelites with the materials for the tabernacle and instructed them in how to use those materials to worship Him. The goods they brought from Egypt were not simply theirs to use however they pleased. God had provided for them, and He gave them specific instructions for how those resources were to be used in His service.
The practical reality of what our home had become stopped me in my tracks. The abundance was impeding my service to Him. The condition of our home was stealing the joy of fellowship with other believers, killing my ability to focus during my quiet time, and destroying any hope of experiencing the abundant life Jesus so freely offers.
Ultimately, God had provided the things in our home. He gave me the opportunity to use them and the space He gave us to welcome neighbors, friends, and family and to further His kingdom. But the mess and overwhelm closed us off from stewarding those gifts and opportunities well.
Through Christ’s work on the cross, we have eternal life. The life He offers cannot be found in an aisle at Target or through two-day delivery. He provided us everything we will ever need. He gave us Himself. Understanding this truth suddenly makes getting rid of that potato masher a bit easier.
A life we seek to fill with mementos, backup supplies, and overflowing closets, no matter how well we think we are stewarding them, will not lead us to the true abundance and security we find in Christ.
For a long time, I thought stewardship meant taking care of everything I owned, whether it was sentimental, useful, or expensive. What I learned was that I needed to hold everything in my home with an open hand. God cares about how much stuff my home can hold when that stuff begins to hold me back from loving His people well. Stewardship often looks more like letting go of the everyday things that tie up our time and keep our homes and lives closed off to others.
I want to encourage you today to look at your home with fresh eyes. Is your home helping you live out your callings? Does it feel like a place where others can come and feel welcome? Are you so overwhelmed by chores that you can’t spend time freely with the Lord?
It may be time to reclaim what the thief has taken and live a life devoted to serving the Lord who so willingly laid down His life for you. Stewarding our belongings doesn’t have to mean taking care of every single thing we own. Often, the best stewardship looks more like letting go of what we’re holding on to so that we can take hold of all that Christ offers us.
Photo by Jessica Lewis 🦋 thepaintedsquare on Unsplash
