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In someone else’s words: Glen Taibl

plagerismWhile Generous Matters is on hiatus, I’ll use this space to highlight blogs that regularly encourage, challenge, and/or delight me. Today’s insight comes from Luther Seminary’s Center for Stewardship Leadership e-newsletter.

In a helpful article titled “When Jesus Talks about Money,” the Center’s co-director Glen Taibl points to “Jesus’ focus on our relationship to money and possessions as a matter of importance as we steward resources God has provided for God’s people.”

Here are excerpts from his encouraging message:

“When Jesus talks about money and possessions, the focus is on our relationship to these important elements of daily living. The rich young ruler had much and the thought of changing the relationship to his wealth was unthinkable in spite of his confessed obedience to God’s commandments. The poor widow had little and the little she had wasn’t as important as her relationship with God. “Where your treasure is your heart will be,” is ultimately about the investment we will make either in our relationship with God or to another value that has an equal or greater loyalty and attention. You cannot serve God and Mammon is a question of relationship. Jesus never asks for money or possessions but he places a laser focus on the power money and possessions have in our lives.

Our work as steward leaders is to help the people we serve to see and hear the importance of our relationship to money and possessions as a faith issue. Jesus Christ intends to transform our understanding of personal resources by claiming them as a part of our life of faith. For Jesus there is no separation of sacred and secular when it comes to money. If Stewardship is the management of all of life with Christ at the center, then Christ at the center of our relationship to money and possessions is an important part of the values that shapes us. “