As far as the blog name, I'm keeping it. "It Starts With Me" is an admonishment to myself as I occasionally wondering why this isn't happening for me or why I haven't achieve that yet. I truly believe God gifts us with the talents and wisdom we need to do the things our hearts desire. We may not always heed His call or take action given the opportunity.
Believing this, I place any disappointment squarely at my own feet and strengthen my resolve.
Leadership guru John Maxwell, in this morning's Minute with Maxwell video clip, spoke about stewardship. I gasped when I heard him utter the phrase, "It starts with me."
Yes! That's exactly what I believe.
Take a minute to listen: John Maxwell on Stewardship
You see, if God truly has seeded within us all that we need, then tending that garden (developing those gifts and skills), picking the fruit of the garden (exercising those gifts) and offering the fruit for sale or gift (reaping the benefit of the gifts) depends on us. Our choices. Our efforts. Our commitment. Our management.
Maxwell simplies this to one word: stewardship.
We often think of stewardship over physical assets, like money, homes and other treasures. But we also have to be good stewards over our lives, including our hopes and dreams, our thoughts, our beliefs and values and all that is intrinsic in us.
We are to be good managers of that which God has given us, not to worry about that which we don't have and not to lament over what's not happening as readily as we might want. Rather, our focus should be on managing ourselves and our lives, for our good, for the good of others and ultimately to the glory of God.
I try to remind myself of this first, whenever I start to whine or complain about what my life isn't or what I don't have. Becoming a good steward is a challenging process. It doesn't happen overnight, and some never learn. I hope to master it one day.
How well are you managing you?
Peace & Blessings,
Patricia
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