lesson oneDECEMBER 30–JANUARY 5

The Influence of

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that

good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:2, NKJV).

Materialism

The young person at the center of the image is surrounded by some of the attractions that the world offers. His expression conveys how enticing these material distractions can be.

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Introduction

sabbathDECEMBER 30

From the very beginning, as shown in Genesis 3:3, God made it clear that He owns the world and everything in it. We are called, as God’s stewards, to manage that which belongs to Him. While God has graciously entrusted us with the care, development, and enjoyment of everything He owns, as His stewards, we are responsible to manage His holdings well and according to His desires and purposes. Why, then, do we have the attitude that all that God has entrusted to us is our own?

“The primary concern of those to whom [Jesus] spoke was for the mate-rial things of life. Their sense of values was warped. They did not recognize the principle that every steward is entitled to the care of his master. If they recognized themselves as stewards of God, they were then entitled to God’s care for their daily needs. He told them to seek the kingdom of heaven first, and He would satisfy their physical needs.”*

Psalm 24:1 reminds us that “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” The Creator and Owner of everything asks for so little in return. Why do we find it so difficult to trust Him, obey Him, and honor Him? He has given us so much; much more than we deserve.

Stewardship expresses our obedience with regard to the management of everything God has placed under our control, which is all-encompassing. Stewardship is the commitment of one’s self and possessions to God’s ser-vice.

“Remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth” (Deut. 8:18, NKJV). We are called as God’s stewards to manage that which belongs to Him, using the abilities and talents He has given us. All that we have, all that we can do, is given to us by the Lord. We are responsible to manage His holdings well and according to His desires and purposes.

This world is not our home, neither are the things in it. What will be our answer on the day when each one of us will be called to give an account for how we have managed what the Master has so unselfishly given us?

____________* Melvin E. Rees, God’s Plan for Social Security (Mountain View, Calif: Pacific Press®,

1970), p. 21.

Are You a Good Manager?Gen. 3:3;

Deut. 8:18; Ps. 24:1

We are called, as God’s stewards, to manage that which belongs to Him.

Brenda Hiser Wilson, Jefferson, Texas, USA

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sundayDECEMBER 31

Original Stewardship (Rom. 3:23; 5:12)Probably the most famous stewardship story is also the most unrecog-

nized. In Genesis 2, we have Adam and Eve set in the Garden to steward (take care of) the garden. However, by the next chapter, they follow Satan’s suggestions and not God’s governance. Since that time, God has been trying to restore in us an understanding that He still loves us and desires to entrust us with what is His.

Since the time of Adam and Eve, we have all experienced the pain and suffering of their unfaithfulness to God’s Word. Thereby, we have all become subject to death, because we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23; 5:12). However, death was not the only consequence; now even our very natures have been corrupted (Eph. 2:3). So even if we want to do good, we cannot (Rom. 3:12). However, all hope is not lost!

Original Sacrificial Giving (Rom. 8:32)In the Old Testament, we read about the practice of the various offerings.

This form of giving was known to be more than mere offerings. Whether they were offerings of their own labor, which were not accepted, or offer-ings of praise and thanksgiving, all offerings were also known as sacrifices (Gen. 4:3–5; 2 Chron. 29:31). People had to give up the very best of their flocks, so it certainly was a sacrifice.

The sacrifice, or offering, literally included the spilt blood of the victim. The victim was then placed upon the altar and eventually burned up or con-sumed, representing an individual’s expression of praise, peace, thanksgiv-ing, and devotion to God. God, in turn, ultimately demonstrated His devotion and love to us by literally sacrificing (offering) His own Son on our behalf (Rom. 8:32).

In the sacrifice of Jesus, we also see redemption. Most people, when they hear the word stewardship, instinctively think of money, but the word stewardship is intimately connected to the word redeem, which means “to buy back.” When Adam and Eve fell and lost the intimate relationship they once had with God, God still covenanted that He would redeem them. When Jesus came to the earth to die on the cross as our ultimate sacrifice and atonement, He redeemed humanity. He bought and brought us out of captivity and into His transformative grace.

Matt. 16:24; Luke 12:15–21; Rom. 5:12

Stewardship and Salvation

Stewardship is not only the commitment of what we have but also a recognition of how completely Christ possesses us.

Logos

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The Christians’ Call to Sacrifice (Matt. 16:24)The sacrifice of Christ was not only for our salvation from sin but also for

an example of how to live selflessly. This example is to be repeated by the followers of Christ. Since Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was complete, the process that He is trying to work in us is to be a complete work. He didn’t halfheartedly give of Himself when He died on the cross, and so Christ is not calling for a 50 percent Christian but calling a Christian who is totally committed to Him—to give entirely of themselves for His service and glory.

Therefore, stewardship is really the demonstration of the conversion ex-perience through the power of the Holy Spirit to transform hearts and lives so they can live the life God has truly called us to live—the selfless life. More simply, Jesus is calling for us to live like He did. By the example of sacrificially giving Himself on the cross to redeem and reclaim us as His own, He is also calling us to a life of self-denial and to take up our own cross and follow Him (Matt. 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23).

From Selfish to Selfless (Luke 12:15; Gal. 2:20)In spite of our sinfulness, our bent toward selfishness, Christ has given

us a way to weed out our selfishness and act like He did. The promises of God’s Word connect us to Him, and we, thereby, can become partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4). As Christians, we are to be “crucified with Christ” (Gal. 2:20, NKJV), not to live the life of our old, sinful, selfish natures but to have Christ live in us. “In Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28, NKJV). So as Christians who are committed to Christ, steward-ship is not only the commitment of what we have but also a recognition of how completely Christ possesses us.

Jesus wants us to recognize that we are more than what we possess (Luke 12:15). That’s why it is true that we are not saved by what we give; we cannot save ourselves by giving more; but we could be lost by not giv-ing what we should (see Luke 12:15–21). God has called us to be a special people who are the repositories of His grace (Deut. 7:6; 1 Pet. 2:9, 10). There-fore, God trusts that we will faithfully share who He is, what He is about, and what He will do. If He had not, we would not have the Great Commission of Matthew 28, and, more particularly, the mandate of Revelation 14:6–12.

Finally, stewardship not only works in the process of restoring us into the unselfish character of Jesus but will determine our fitness for heaven. At least two times Jesus plainly gives the idea that our faithfulness or unfaithfulness in the little things will determine whether we can be entrusted with more (Luke 16:10; 19:17). We may even ask ourselves, if we cannot be entrusted with the few responsibilities we have here, can we really be trusted in heaven?

REACT1. What areas of my life have I committed to Jesus? What areas of my life

have I not completely committed to Jesus?2. What am I willing to give in response to what Jesus has given for me?

Malcolm S. Douglas, Tucson, Arizona, USA

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mondayJANUARY 1

In our society’s culture, a selfie is meant to epitomize our perfection. These self-centered photographs are taken to boast of our beauty, exult in our excess, and gloat in our greed. We tweet, Instagram, and Facebook our me-ness often and obsessively. Jesus advocated a countercultural stance—the un-selfie—a life of kind service.

“The work of beneficence is twice blessed. While he that gives to the needy blesses others, he himself is blessed in a still greater degree. The grace of Christ in the soul is developing traits of character that are the opposite of selfishness,—traits that will refine, ennoble, and enrich the life. Acts of kind-ness performed in secret will bind hearts together, and will draw them closer to the heart of Him from whom every generous impulse springs. The little at-tentions, the small acts of love and self-sacrifice, that flow out from the life as quietly as the fragrance from a flower—these const itute no small share of the blessings and happiness of life. And it will be found at last that the denial of self for the good and happiness of others, however humble and uncommended here, is recognized in heaven as the token of our union with Him, the King of glory, who was rich, yet for our sake become poor.”1

“We should cultivate every faculty to the highest degree of perfection, that we may do the greatest amount of good of which we are capable. . . .”2

“When you meet those who are careworn and oppressed, who know not which way to turn to find relief, put your hearts into the work of helping them. It is not God’s purpose that His children shall shut themselves up to themselves, taking no interest in the welfare of those less fortunate than themselves. Re-member that for them as well as for you Christ has died. Conciliation and kind-ness will open the way for you to help them, to win their confidence, to inspire them with hope and courage.”3

REACT1. Have you ever performed an altruistic act? What was your motivation for

your action?2. Have you ever been the recipient of an act of kindness? What was the

impact of it upon your heart?____________

1. Ellen G. White, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, pp. 82, 83.2. Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 330.3. Ellen G. White, My Life Today, p. 242.

Althea Collins, Calhoun, Georgia, USA

2 Pet. 1:7

Un-selfie

Jesus advocated a countercultural stance— the un-selfie—a life of kind service.

Testimony

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tuesdayEvidence

JANUARY 2

Very few verses in Scripture are so pointed and strategic as is Romans 12:2.

After committing the first eleven chapters to deep-rooted theology, Paul flips over to address important aspects of Christian wholesomeness: duty, conduct, and behavior.

Walk the TalkAs in any game, when you reach the last break before the final whistle,

the coach has some crucial commands that, if heeded, will make the path to victory easier. Read Romans 12:2 in sincerity. It will change you from the inside out.

One word that stands out in my mind is metamorphosis (Greek meta-morphóo). This describes the process of how a tadpole turns into a frog and a caterpillar, into a butterfly. That is exactly what God wants for His children. If we yield to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will be trans-formed and be able to completely surrender ourselves to God.

Why Do We Struggle?During experiments aboard the space shuttle Columbia, scientists dis-

covered that there are twenty-six lakes underneath the Sahara Desert. It’s heartrending to think of the people who are starving and dying of thirst because these hidden reservoirs have not yet been tapped. As stewards of God, we have to lead people to the Fountain of living waters, Jesus Christ.

REACT1. Is there anything or anyone you are withholding from God?2. What about your finances and hobbies?

Saved to ServeRom. 12:2

Anbudurai Albert Zachariah, Karnataka, India

Think of the people who are starving and dying of thirst be-cause these hidden reservoirs have not yet been tapped.

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wednesday

Our lives, time, and efforts are gifts from God.

How-toJANUARY 3

Have I and mine become the trends of this generation? Our world propa-gates the good life—an abundant and prosperous one. It teaches that money, power, and wealth are the key desirables driving the society it operates. Self and self-interest are the key attributes of the popular and celebrated. Money, fame, and power are exemplified, put on display, and glorified in society.

Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be trans-formed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (NKJV).

The world paints the idea that you can start from nothing and attain a high-level lifestyle with hard work. This, coupled with selfishness, drives the charac-teristics of greed, power, and injustice. Luke 12:15 says, “And He said to them, ‘Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses’ ” (NKJV). Through Christ’s words, Luke shows us the direct correlation, of which we need to be cautious. This “dream” causes us to lose focus on our whole reason for existence here on earth.

Our lives, time, and efforts are gifts from God. He allows us to reap the benefits and blessings from serving Him and bringing Him glory as He works through us His will and plan. This is the concept also laid out in Philippians 2:3, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself” (NKJV). Employing the characteristics God has laid out keeps us from falling for Satan’s deceptions, where the center of focus is on self and nothing else.

We are to be like Christ and exemplify His character of love. Christ’s way has always been humbleness, and He desires us to follow His example: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5, NKJV). Such a stark contrast from that of Satan: “For you have said in your heart: / ‘I will as-cend into heaven, / I will exalt my throne above the stars of God’ ” (Isa. 14:13, 14, NKJV)! The choice is up to each person. With every decision, we choose who is on the throne of our hearts. Choose you this day whom ye will serve (Josh. 24:15).REACT

1. Why does God caution against materialism?2. How does faithful stewardship (of money, talents, characteristics) encour-

age obedience to God?3. What are some practical ways to prevent the societal norms of material-

ism? Philip Shaw, Orlando, Florida, USA

Exod. 20:17; Isa. 14:13, 14; Luke 12:15; Phil. 2:5–8

Stewardship Motives of the Heart

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thursdayOpinion

Then, finally, we will be happy.

JANUARY 4

Dreams—we all have them. As children, we dream of what we will become. As high-school graduates, we dream of where we will further our education. Then we plot out our ideal career, hope for that secure future we’ve always wanted, and count on having the family we believe will complete it all for us. Then, finally, we will be happy.

Yet, amid the planning and “success,” we easily become so wrapped up in our goals that many of us almost automatically forget the necessity of finding meaning and happiness during the journey itself—rather than in ourselves.

James 4:14 asks the question “What is your life?” (NKJV). In that ques-tion, he bids us to reflect upon our dreams and question their true value. He reminds us that life is a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Because we don’t know where life will lead, our plans should include not only mindfulness of our earthly life but also good stewardship of our time with eternal life in mind.

Throughout my college years, I became so enraptured by my need to suc-ceed and support my way through that toward my last year that I was balanc-ing three part-time jobs alongside packed semesters. As a theology student, studying to live a life of ministry and service for others, you can imagine how much time I had left to actually serve and do ministry where I was. However, I had logical reasons. I had to work so that I could pay for school and make ends meet. I had to keep a perfect grade point average (GPA) so that my scholar-ships would be maximized.

Finally, during my last semester, God caught my attention and began to show me how disorganized and unfulfilling my priorities really were. Yes, what I was doing was “important” for me, but there were also students and friends all around me who needed friendship, encouragement, and mentoring, with their entire life directions in fluctuation. God had called me to ministry not to invest time in myself but to be a good steward by using it to bless others. Look-ing back, that simple shift of priority and time was the most fulfilling decision I made in college.

REACT1. Why does James rebuke people who make plans for their future in

James 4:13–15?2. What are some ways to make where you are right now in life more

meaningful by adjusting your priorities to bless others?

Time and Priorities: The Currencies We Trade Daily

Ps. 90:12; James 4:13, 14

Eric Louw, Dallas, Texas, USA

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fridayJANUARY 5

CONCLUDEThe word stewardship frequently brings a mental association with manag-

ing assets to gain greater wealth. However, being a good steward may also mean intentionally denying oneself of earthly pleasures to focus on things of Christ. We are reminded throughout Scripture that earthly wealth can separate us from God. If our eyes are fixed only on things of the world, then our true pri-orities clearly rest in the here and now; by fixing our eyes on things of heaven and denying ourselves every whim and pleasure now, we show that our iden-tity is in Christ and our hearts are fixed on eternal treasure.

CONSIDER• Sharing with a friend an area of your life in which you feel you are invest-

ing too strongly in the world. Invite your friend to help you brainstorm ways you can adjust your priorities and ask your friend to hold you accountable for making changes.

• Writing a poem or song that expands on the ideas in Matthew 6:19–21 regarding storing up treasure in heaven instead of earthly wealth. Share your writing with your Sabbath School class or small group.

• Making a list of areas in which you could improve spending habits. Next to each area, write at least one practical way you can change that habit. Write one of this week’s Bible verses at the top of the list to remind your-self of what is truly important.

• Taking a walk or hike in nature, focusing on the simple beauty of God’s creation. As you walk, pray that God will clear your mind of earthly desires and replace those longings with a focus on His kingdom.

• Journaling about ways you feel you are focusing too heavily on things of earth. Take time to reflect and pray over those areas, asking God to help you shift your focus to things of heaven. Be sure to follow up in your journal with the ways God compels you to change.

• Brainstorming a list of areas in your life in which you would be willing to make sacrifices in order to take care of the needs of others (sometimes the biggest problem with “ the world ” is that we think it revolves around us). Pick one area from your list and actively make a change to benefit those around you.

CONNECTEllen G. White, Counsels on Stewardship, chapter 43, “Trying to Serve

God and Mammon.”NAD Stewardship Department, Faith and Finance.

Matt. 6:19–21, 24; John 15:5; Gal. 2:20Eternal Treasure

Allison Sauceda, Centerville, Ohio, USA

Exploration