Part two of step 1: Thank this higher power. Cultures have been doing it for centuries. Offering sacrifices, offering prayers and first fruits. Once you begin to be grateful for the little things, you'll find gratefulness in the big things. "I found a quarter! Thanks be to God." "I am healthy. Thanks be to God" "My work is stressful; but this is a great growing opportunity. Thanks be to God".
TRY THIS FOR ONE WEEK and see how your outlook on life changes. I find it best to send this grateful "energy" (hubby hates that word) to a higher power. If you belive this higher power is energy - cite Newton's 3rd Law: "for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction". Therefore I give energy to this power, He'll give energy back to me.
Thanks be to God you read through Step 1. I am grateful. ;)
A steward is RESPONSIBLE
The things we are grateful for, we are also responsible for. If we are truly grateful, we will be responsible.
We're not saying "I am grateful for my health" as we eat a bag of potato chips or get drunk. We say "I am grateful for my health and I will continue take care of my health." Let's face it. Acknowledging our gifts will remind us that we have many gifts and we must take care of them. If you wake up feeling sick you'll take medicine. But if you wake up feeling fine, will you take vitamins? will you eat healthy? Let's not wait on the unfortunate situation to occur, when we could be building our strength now. (Yogis, cross-fitters and exercise gurus understand this)
But it goes for ALL things in our life. Our health is easy because we see it daily. What about our faith? How do we claim responsibility for that? Our relationships with others? Can we take responsibility for the friends we hang on to? for the family we talk to (or avoid). God has put those people in our life, we are responsible for our relationship with them.
A steward is GENEROUS
When we are grateful and responsible it is easy to become generous. Who doesn't like to share the good things in life? Do you have friends or family who are always willing to give their time, their possessions or their money? You might be thinking "what is with these people?!" Perhaps they find their blessings to be such a gift from God they want to share it. Another easy example of this is a child. New mothers and fathers are grateful for their newborn. They claim responsibility of their newborn and they wish to share him/her with the world/
No good parent, is hiding their child from their family and friends.
A steward makes a return to the Lord with increase.
I like to use the following visualization: You die. You have a basket full of the gifts God gave you and you walk up to the pearly gates with your basket. Do you say to God: "Here I am with my gifts! I am returning them to you!" Or are you dragging your basket, along with many other baskets saying: "Here are the gifts you gave me! I am returning them and because I used them according to your will, they have multiplied!" We want what God has given us to multiply here on Earth right? We always seek more and more. But are we giving back to the Lord with increase? Why not?
The pessimist says "my cup is half empty"
The optimist says "my cup is half full"
The Child of God says "my cup runneth over!"
This is a portion of my 'Stewardship and the New Evangelization" presentation. It goes deeper into the Eucharist and evangelizing fallen away Catholics. I've always wanted to be a motivational speaker. I was never a cheerleader in high school but I find myself to be the biggest fan of my family, friends, alma maters, city, town, etc. You always want to be paid to do what you love. I guess you could say I am doing that now. Thanks be to God!
