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Ivan G Thompson
a book bubble about
Financial Testimonies Stories of God's Favor, Grace and Provision
Christian Books & Bibles
Author Insight
Stewardship
This book bubble talks about some of my own personal stewardship failures. Yes, failures. The vast majority of this book is about using faith to receive the promised return, the harvest of seeds sown into the good ground of the kingdom of God. But stewardship is an equally important principle in Scripture. Some of the time, the reason we aren’t more prosperous is that we aren’t effectively managing what we have: savings, paying off debt, not running up credit cards, budgeting, etc. I remember reading someone’s commentary on Malachi 3, the part where it says that the Lord will “rebuke the devourer” for our sake. The person said sometimes we are the “devourer.” We devour the blessing of the Lord on impulse purchases, racking up debt and just not planning how we will spend our money. We waste blessings by not expending them based on godly priorities. I highly recommend Dave Ramsey’s “Financial Peace University” as a resource. We are blessed by the harvest from the seeds we sow and by effective stewardship. It can’t be only sowing and reaping (supernatural) and it can’t only be savings and paying off debt (natural). There must be a balance.
Book Excerpt
Financial Testimonies Stories of God's Favor, Grace and Provision
06/11/2018
Stewardship
A quick note on stewardship. I just finished submitting my final inputs to H&R Block for my 2017 Taxes. They sent back a projection of what I should get back. When it’s all filed, I will get back a very nice sum of money-nearly triple what I expected. The crazy thing is that I could have had this money months ago if I had been a better steward of my tax preparation. I have receipts and mileage from acting auditions and performances, book royalties, receipts from repairs on the house and utilities that I get to claim for renting out rooms, I have a home office, etc.
It’s a lot of work, but my poor stewardship of that work delayed my blessing. It wasn’t God’s delay. Let me say that again. It wasn’t God’s delay. I’m a generous giver and that giving even helps increase my tax returns—if I file them.
There have been several lean months for me in 2018. However, nearly every bill has been paid on time, and my credit score is the highest it’s ever been, but this season wasn’t supposed to be as lean as it has been. As you know, when you are getting a return, the IRS doesn’t pay you interest on the money they owe you. Even worse if I had my return sooner, I could have invested it and gained interest on it, or paid off an interest-bearing debt or sowed some of it back into the kingdom (a great investment!).
Here I am praying for the harvest on seeds sown and believing for breakthrough and part of it was sitting in my file cabinet! Pastor Sean Moore used to say that so many saints are believing God for a miracle every month instead of exercising proper stewardship. I’m still learning that lesson.
I have been in so many Word of Faith churches I can honestly say I know how to sow a seed and receive a harvest by faith, receive unexpected income, debt cancellation, etc. But I am still learning to be a better steward. It’s the balance that Pastor Sean taught. I hope my transparency here helps someone.
I also challenge you to look at your own stewardship. It may not be the stewardship of money. It may be the stewardship of an idea, a talent, a ministry, your career or business. God has given all these things to you to bless you. He wants to increase you, give you favor and promotion and blessings, but He can’t steward the things He’s given you. That’s your part.
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