Stewarding our spheres is not about success; it’s about faithfulness.
We all have one. But each differs in size and scope. They can be broad or narrow. As varied as eleven thousand followers on Instagram to six people sitting around the kitchen table. Scripture encourages us to use whatever gift we have within them. What are they?
Our spheres of influence.
We don’t have the resources to respond to every request that lands in our mailbox or inbox. If we had to pray for all the needs in the world, we would never get off our knees. But we do have a circle of family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors. They include the people who belong in our spheres of influence. Spheres we are called to steward.
We don’t always recognize the importance of our spheres, so we often miss seeing the difference we can make. We consider the movers and shakers of the world limited to the rich and powerful, the politicians, the celebrities, and CEOs. But we ought never overlook our part. Stewarding our spheres is not about success; it’s about faithfulness.
It’s about serving others in the “various forms” of God’s grace. I recently read the report of an eighty-eight-year-old woman who has been waving to schoolchildren from her window every day for the last twelve years. When word spread, she was moving to an assisted-living home, over four hundred children gathered in her front yard to wave goodbye. They held signs and blew kisses to let her know how much her simple act of kindness had meant to them.
I know a woman who sends cards to people in need of encouragement, some of whom she knows, and some she’s never met. She’s faithfully been at it for over forty-five years.
Bob Goff writes in Everybody Always 1 how he likes to drive to his local In-N-Out and buy about twenty hamburgers. Then he goes to the city and randomly distributes them. It inspired me so much that I bought some fruit snacks and bags of trail mix. Now when I see someone on the side of the road asking for food, I’m prepared to help, even if in a small way. Jesus expects us to steward our spheres. So, what are we waiting for? Let’s get out there and make an impact.
Lord, you have put people in my life who have touched and blessed me in powerful ways. You’ve also placed people in my life for me to help, encourage and impact. Help me to recognize and steward that influence wisely. Thank you for your Holy Spirit who empowers your children to make a difference in this world today. Amen.
Take a step of faith and start mentoring people online. Doing so could open the door to a lifetime of effective and fruitful ministry! See God change lives
Additional Resource: This is an excerpt from Becky's devotional book called Keep Your Lamp Burning: Devotions to Help You Reflect God's Love, Our Faith, and Purpose.
This was republished with permission from the original author.
1 Bob Goff, Everybody Always (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2018), 146.
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