steward – Moment to Moment (Bible blog)

Embracing Your Role as an “Ordinary” Christian

I think that for many Christians, they look at my last post that says we all are called to be stewards of God’s grace to those around us, and they say, “But I’m no Paul. I can’t do the things he could do. I’m just an ordinary Christian.”

But like I said, you aren’t called to be Paul, nor are you called to be a steward of God’s grace in exactly the same way he was. Nevertheless, you are called to be a steward of his grace, sharing his gospel and touching those around you.

“But I’m not qualified,” you might say. Or, “I’m not worthy.”

Do you know that Paul felt the same way about himself? He says in verse 7-8,

I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.

Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. (Ephesians 3:7-8)

Paul felt totally unworthy to be a steward of grace. He called himself the least of all God’s people. Why? Because at one time he persecuted the church and was responsible for the imprisoning and death of many Christians.

But then he says that despite all this, “This grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.”

Not because of his own worthiness. Not because of his own pedigree or talents. But because of the “gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.”

And the same is true of you. God calls you to be a steward of his grace. Why? Because he has given his grace to you.

And the ability to be a good steward is by no means dependent on your pedigree or your talents. Nor do you need to rely on your own wisdom and strength.

Rather, being a steward of his grace is dependent on the grace and power he has given to you. And because of the grace and power he has given you, you can be a steward of his grace.

More, Paul tells us that it is God’s intent that through the church, his wisdom in all its facets would be displayed to the world.

That means you. You and all the other Christians together are the church. And God’s will is that his wisdom would be displayed through you.

“But I’m weak. I’m ordinary. How can God use me?”

It’s exactly because you are weak and ordinary that God can use you. Because when you are weak and ordinary, you are forced to rely on God and his strength, not your own.

And as Paul wrote, when you are weak, then you are strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

And if that’s not enough for you, remember the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 1.

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called.

Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. (1 Corinthians 1:26-27)

God is not looking for the strong to display his wisdom, but the weak. So if you feel weak, you’re exactly what God is looking for.

For when people see what God is doing in you and through you to touch those around you, it will amaze them. And they’ll think of us as the religious leaders did of Peter and John.

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13)

When people see us, may they take note that we have been with Jesus.

Being a steward of God’s grace

I like how the ESV renders verse 2 in this passage,

…you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you. (Ephesians 3:2)

A steward of God’s grace. That’s what we are called to be.

God hasn’t given us his grace simply to bathe in it for our own benefit. He has called us to be stewards of his grace as we deal with the people around us.

Of course, Paul’s stewardship was quite different from ours. The stewardship God gave him included starting multiple churches and writing scripture which teaches us all about God’s grace and the “mystery” of the gospel.

There are certainly people today that God has gifted with the ability to plant churches, but not everyone has that gift.

And there are certainly no people today that can write scripture, although God has gifted some with the gift of teaching so that they can help illumine the scriptures to others.

But whether you have these kinds of gifts or not, each of us in our own way are to be stewards of God’s grace.

What do I mean?

First of all, we should be sharing the gospel with other people. But also we should be reaching out to others, touching them with the love of God.

When people see us who are the church, they should see stewards of that grace we have received.

That starts first of all with showing grace to each other. Paul says,

This mystery (that God has revealed and Paul now shares) is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 3:6)

When God first called Abraham, God promised that all nations would be blessed through him. (Genesis 12:3)

For years, it was unclear just how that would happen. Now, Paul says, the answer has been revealed.

Through Christ and his death on the cross, all of us, Jew and non-Jew, black, white, Asian, Hispanic, male, female, or whatever, have together become God’s heirs.

Together, we have become part of one body with Christ as our head. And together we share in the promises given to us through Jesus Christ.

Now through the church, Paul says that God’s intent is that,

the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. (10-11)

When all the angels and demons see the church, they start to see the many facets of God’s wisdom.

In particular, they see the wonder of a plan that brings people of all races and genders together, loving each other because of the love God has showered upon them, fulfilling the purpose for which God created them, and reflecting his glory.

But not only should they see this, the world should too. And when it does, it can’t help but be astonished by God’s grace and be drawn to it.

That’s the way it should be, anyway. But is it?

Too many times it’s not because we aren’t faithful stewards of his grace toward each other and to the world.

How about you? Are you a faithful steward of God’s grace? Is your church? When people see you, do they see God’s love and grace pouring out of you in your actions towards them and your brothers and sisters?

What kind of steward are you?