Have you ever wondered how rich people get their wealth? If you ask, they’ll tell you that they learned to take care of the money they had. They invested it or they spent it wisely, and their research and hard work helped them to acquire more. One millionaire I’ve heard speak doesn’t even go to the full-service line at the gas station – he pumps his own gas because it saves him a little bit of money, and he uses that savings wisely.
When we are good stewards over our belongings, we show that we are grateful for the things we’ve been given. This doesn’t just work for material goods. If we show that we are grateful for our blessings, we’ll receive more of them. And when we treat our blessings with respect, we are being good stewards over them and showing the Lord that we are responsible to accept more blessings, should He send them.
I use my children’s toys as an example. My son has a lot of Bionicles, and he loves to take them apart and create his own guys. Because of this, there are Bionicle pieces all over the house, and I frequently ask him to pick them up. If they are still on the floor when it’s time to vacuum, I don’t feel guilty if the vacuum picks up the smaller pieces and they disappear forever. But if he has taken proper care of them, and then asks me for more for his Christmas gift, I feel more inclined to give them to him.
How much more does our Heavenly Father desire to bless us? How much more does He have to give? He wants to give us eternal life and all that He has. He’s given us a portion of that already, and He is watching us to see what we’ll do with our talents, our time, our families, and whatever earthly goods we have. Once He sees how we treat the small amount we’ve been given, He’ll know just how ready we are to receive more.
It’s like trying your baby out on solid food. You wouldn’t give an infant an entire bowl of applesauce their first time out – you’d give them just a few bites, and see how they digest it. The same goes for our Heavenly Father. He needs to see how we’ll digest the gifts and the responsibilities He’s already given us, so He’ll know when to give us the fullness.
Stewardship tests our ability to be responsible, but it also prepares us for greater blessings. May we all learn to cherish the things we do have, especially those of eternal nature, so that someday we may receive of everything He has to offer us.
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