SDA Sabbath School Lesson 12--1st Quarter 2018--The Habits of a Steward

[Wally]

Lesson 12 March 17-23

Debt - The Habits of a Steward

Commentary in Navy                  Inspiration in Maroon

[Richard Myers]

Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: Eph. 5:15-17, Col. 3:23, Luke 12:35-48, James 4:14, Acts 3:21, 1 Cor. 9:24-27.

Memory Verse: “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed [thereto] according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Psalm 119:9-11

Your habits reveal purpose and direction in your life. Stewards who develop good habits are the most faithful stewards. Daniel had a habit of daily prayer (Dan. 6:10). Paul’s custom was to be in the synagogue (Acts 17:1, 2). He also writes: “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” 1 Cor. 15:33. We are to cultivate good habits in order to replace bad ones.

It is true that good habits makes up our character. And, for those who have been trained to good character it is easier to become a converted Christian. When we follow Jesus, we are creating good habits (good character). Many do not like to talk about perfection of Christian character, but this is the work of the Christian. We are to be His witnesses, to reflect the character of Christ.

What is lacking in the person who was reared with good character, but lacks a full surrender to Jesus?

“We shall be individually, for time and eternity, what our habits make us. The lives of those who form right habits, and are faithful in the performance of every duty, will be as shining lights, shedding bright beams upon the pathway of others.” - Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 452.

The pathway that a habit creates is the fastest way that you can take to get the reward you seek. A habit is an ingrained decision. In other words, you don’t even have to think about it; you just do it. That habit can be very good or very bad, depending upon what it is you do. This week we look at powerful habits that will help a steward conduct God’s business.

There is a priority involved in this matter. When it come to creating habits, what would you list as the top three habits you would want for yourself and your children? The memory verse for this week gives us good counsel.

[Richard Myers]

Sunday March 18

Habit: Seek God First

We all have habits. The question is: What kind are they? Good or bad? Of all the good habits a Christian could have, seeking God first thing every day would have to be the most important one of all.

The author of our lesson has taught that which is right. The priority in creating good habits is first seeking God. Daniel did not just create the habit of prayers, but it was his habit to pray three times a day on his knees. This illustrates how important it is to separate oneself from the world to reconnect with Christ. We can be in an attitude of prayer always, but Daniel understood he needed to remove himself from the world to make that connection sure on a continuous basis. This is to be our work also. And, if we cannot get from morning to noon without sinning, then we need to be in the habit of separating from the world, half way between morning and noon.

“Every morning dedicate yourself, soul, body, and spirit, to God. Establish habits of devotion and trust more and more in your Saviour.” - Ellen G. White, Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 1, p. 15. With a habit like that, we surely would enter through the “straight  gate” and "narrow path" that leads to life (Matt. 7:14).

God said, “Ye shall have no other gods before Me” (Exod. 20:3). Jesus said, in the context of our basic needs, to “seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matt. 6:33), and we have also been told: “Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Jer. 29:13.

Read Matthew 22:37, 38; Acts 17:28; Ephesians 5:15-17; and Colossians 3:23.

 22:37   Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 
 22:38   This is the first and great commandment. 

 17:28   For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 

 5:15   See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 
 5:16   Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 
 5:17   Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is

 3:23   And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 

What is said here that can help us understand how to put God first in our lives?

In order to put God first, we must make a full surrender of the heart. We must love Him supremely. That is how we put Him first. But, that is not enough to answer the question meaningfully. How is it that we can come to love God more than self. It is the greatest battle we shall ever have to fight. Self does not want to die...every single day!

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment. 

How does this happen. What must we do in order to love God with the whole heart?

Jesus tells us in John chapter three. What is this most important secret that will determine to a great degree if we will be saved?

Of all our examples in seeking the Lord first, none is of course a better one than the example of Jesus. Jesus put His Father first in everything. We begin to see this priority during His Passover visit to Jerusalem as a child. When confronted by His mother, who had found Him “in the temple”, He said to her, “I must be about My Father’s business” (Luke 2:46, 49).

Throughout His life, Jesus craved communion with His Father, as evidenced by His habitual prayer life. This habit was something that the disciples did not fully understand. All the powers of darkness could not separate Jesus from the Father, because Jesus made it a habit to keep totally connected with Him.

Amen! Totally and continually connected. Have we come to see this is the great secret? That we must be continually and fully connected (surrendered) to Christ in order to have life. Is this why the way to heaven is said to be narrow, and few will make it? The great question remains, how do we gain this experience? What habit must we develop in order to be continually and totally connected to Christ?

We can follow Jesus’ example by making the decision to love God with all our heart, mind, and soul (Matt. 22:37). By praying, studying God’s Word, and seeking to emulate the character of Jesus in all that we do, we will form the habit of making God first in our life. And for a Christian, what better habit could there be?

Amen! But, we must narrow this down and make is very plain what habit is it that will enable us to love God supremely and make Him first in our lives?

Ask yourself: Have I really made God first in my life? How do you know?

This is getting very personal. The question is most important. How do we know if we have made God first? Many in the church think they are going to heaven, when in fact Jesus says to them: "Thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." Revelation 3:17-21.

Notice that Jesus does not just rebuke the lost soul, but instructs him what he must do in order to love God supremely. What does Jesus say he must do in order to be saved? How does this compare to what Jesus told Nicodemus in John chapter three? Jesus has not left us in the dark as to what we must do in order to make God first, to be connected totally and continually. And, it is not good enough to do this sporadically. We must make it habitual. What habit will save us?

[Richard Myers]

Monday March 19

Habit: Look for the Return of Jesus

Read Luke 12:35-48.

 12:35   Let your loins be girded about, and [your] lights burning; 
 12:36   And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. 
 12:37   Blessed [are] those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. 
 12:38   And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find [them] so, blessed are those servants. 
 12:39   And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. 
 12:40   Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. 
 12:41   Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all? 
 12:42   And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom [his] lord shall make ruler over his household, to give [them their] portion of meat in due season? 
 12:43   Blessed [is] that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 
 12:44   Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. 
 12:45   But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; 
 12:46   The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for [him], and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 
 12:47   And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not [himself], neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many [stripes]. 
 12:48   But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few [stripes]. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. 

What does this parable teach us about how we are to relate to the second coming of Jesus? Why must all that we do always be in the context of the reality of the Second Coming?

It surely motivates us to be ready at all times. But, then even if Jesus was not coming very soon, who can tell how many days are left in life. Today, may be our last day. There are other considerations, though. We live in the anti-typical Day of Atonement. God is preparing a people to stand without a Mediator. It ought to have been done many years ago. Since we have not accepted God's grace as a people, sin continues in this world. Those who have been given much are responsible for the continuance of sin and suffering.

Jesus cannot come until He is vindicated by a people who will reflect His character and can live without sinning. Sadly, many today even among the ministers and leaders of the church do not believe this. Every wind of doctrine is blowing in the church. But, this is soon going to end. There is a shaking which has begun. Those who continue to reject truth and God's grace will shaken out of His church. And, many will be converted who in the past have been on the wrong side.

Stewardship should be habitually practiced in light of Jesus’ return. The character of unfaithful stewards who act like faithful ones will eventually be known by their actions; for true, faithful stewards carry out their responsibilities by watching and working just as if the master were present. They live for the future and faithfully work day by day. “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Phil. 3:20.

Amen!! All who love Jesus supremely will be speaking of heavenly things, for this is where their hearts are!

Abraham looked for an eternal city (Heb. 11:10), and Paul looked for Christ’s return (Heb. 10:25). They were forward thinkers, anticipating, planning, and ready at a moment’s notice to meet Jesus. We must also develop this habit of looking into the distance with a steady gaze for the climax of the gospel (Titus 2:13). Instead of peeking now and then or casually glancing at prophecy, we need to be continuously looking, watching, and doing, always aware of the eternity that awaits us when Christ returns. At the same time, we must avoid wild and fanciful speculations about end-time events. The promise of the Second Coming gives us direction in our lives, provides a proper perspective to the present, and helps us remember what is important in life. The habit of looking for the return of Jesus gives a steward definition and purpose.

It causes urgency. When we who have been given so much realize what we have done in delaying His second coming, we shall do all we can to repent and hasten His soon coming! When we see the pope stand in the halls of the Congress of the United States, who can not know the end is near. It is only us who stands in the way. May God grant us grace to see this truth and to make amends for our sins by turning the heart fully to Christ.

The cross has paved the way for us to have a rendezvous with the Redeemer. We look for waymarks revealed in Scripture that point us to the coming of Christ in the glory of the Father and angels (Mark 8:38). “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Cor. 4:18.

While most prophecy has been fulfilled, there remains something no other can do except the church of God. It is true there are three angels which have messages, but there is no use discussing the last two if we do not understand and live the first angel's message. If the church does not live and understand the gospel of grace, then how can we take it to a world soon to perish? We cannot. The gospel of grace when accepted into the heart will transform a sinner into a saint. Until this gospel is accepted, we shall continue to delay the second coming of Christ.

Yes, death, and the ever-present reality of death, should always help us realize just how limited and transient our time here is. But the promise of the Second Coming also shows us that death itself is temporary and transient. No wonder, then, that we should live in light of the promise of Christ’s return, a promise that should impact how every Christian steward lives. Let’s make it a habit now always to live in the expectation of Christ’s return. Our very name reveals the reality of that expectation.

Amen! It is the love of God that motivates the Christian, but for those who reject the truths so graciously given to those who bear the name that reveals the second advent of Christ, there is another motivation that when understood will be a cause of great concern. It is unpopular to present this truth, but seeing that it is in the Bible and the author of our lesson has presented it in our lesson, let us repeat it. "And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes." Luke 12:47.

There is a punishment to come to all who reject Christ, who do not prepare for His soon coming. But, in this parable presented to us in Monday's lesson, there is another truth that we ought not overlook, for it speaks not to the world, or even to those in other denominations, but directly to Seventh-day Adventists who have received great light. "But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." Luke 12:48.

You see that God makes a difference between those who know truth and those who do not. Both will be beaten who do not prepare for heaven, but those who have been greatly blessed with much truth, will be beaten with more stripes. Do we read this wrong, or have I made a wrong application of this truth by saying it applies to Seventh-day Adventists? No, I have not.

Among the professed children of God, how little patience has been manifested, how many bitter words have been spoken, how much denunciation has been uttered against those not of our faith. Many have looked upon those belonging to other churches as great sinners, when the Lord does not thus regard them. Those who look thus upon the members of other churches, have need to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God. Those whom they condemn may have had but little light, few opportunities and privileges. If they had had the light that many of the members of our churches have had, they might have advanced at a far greater rate, and have better represented their faith to the world. Of those who boast of their light, and yet fail to walk in it, Christ says, “But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum [Seventh-day Adventists, who have had great light], which art exalted unto heaven [in point of privilege], shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.” At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent [in their own estimation], and hast revealed them unto babes.”  Review and Herald, August 1, 1893. Read the whole article. A most solemn thought for those who believe they are "rich and increased with goods," but do not know their true standing before God.

[Richard Myers]

Tuesday March 20

Habit: Use Time Wisely

“(For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow. )” Job 8:9.

You can stop a clock, but not the movement of time. Time does not wait; it keeps moving forward even if we stand still and do nothing.

What do the following texts teach us about our time here on earth in this life? James 4:14; Ps. 90:10, 12; Ps. 39:4, 5; Eccles. 3:6-8. What is the basic message that we should take from these texts about just how precious our time is here?

 4:14   Whereas ye know not what [shall be] on the morrow. For what [is] your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 

 90:10   The days of our years [are] threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength [they be] fourscore years, yet [is] their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. 
  90:12   So teach [us] to number our days, that we may apply [our] hearts unto wisdom. 

 39:4   LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it [is; that] I may know how frail I [am]. 
 39:5   Behold, thou hast made my days [as] an handbreadth; and mine age [is] as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state [is] altogether vanity. Selah. 

 3:6   A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 
 3:7   A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 
 3:8   A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. 

As a child, I pinched myself, understanding I was not dreaming. I was alive and time was passing. One day, I would not be.

When converted, many years later, I understood that God did not make man to die, but it is a reality that most all will sleep in the grave until they are resurrected, some to suffer and others to be rewarded. Today, I consider what have I done or not done with my time here on Earth? Has it been a blessing to others and to God? Not as it could have been. God help me to redeem the time and to make the most of what is left!

With something so limited and nonrenewable as time, it is important that Christians be good stewards of it. Thus we should develop the habit of using time wisely by focusing on what is important in this life and the next. We must manage time based on what the Word of God reveals to us as important, because once time is up, it can’t be renewed. If we lose money we may eventually get it back, maybe even more than what we first lost. Not so with time. A moment lost is a moment lost forever. We can more easily put a broken egg back in its shell than we recapture even a moment of the past. Thus, time is one of the most precious commodities given to us by God. How important, then, that we develop the habit of making the most of every moment we have been given.

“Our time belongs to God. Every moment is His, and we are under the most solemn obligation to improve it to His glory. Of no talent He has given will He require a more strict account than of our time.  The value of time is beyond computation. Christ regarded every moment as precious, and it is thus that we should regard it. Life is too short to be trifled away. We have but a few days of probation in which to prepare for eternity. We have no time to waste, no time to devote to selfish pleasure, no time for the indulgence of sin.” - Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 342.

Notice the motivation for using our time wisely. We are on probation and have but a short period of time to make our election to the kingdom of God sure. What are we doing today with our time? Are we thinking of the effort we must put forth in order to be saved in the kingdom? Or are we living for this world?
 
"See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,  Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Eph. 5:15, 16. What is Paul saying here to us, and how can we apply these words to our present situation?
 
There is still time to do what is right, to make our election sure. We ought to be wise understanding what is at stake. Do you want love, joy, and peace in this world? Do you want to live forever with Jesus in a world where there is no sickness, no tears, no death? Then, be not as a fool living for what you can see, and being blind to what is not seen. For that which is seen will soon pass away, but that which is unseen is eternal. What a decision we need to make this one day.

[Richard Myers]

Wednesday March 21

Habit: Keep a Healthy Mind, Body, and Soul

We originally were created perfect - mentally, physically, and spiritually. Of course, sin has ruined it all. The good news of the gospel, among other things, is that God is in the process of restoring us to what we were originally meant to be.

Amen! If we will learn of Him, if we will give Him our sin polluted hearts, He will cleanse them white as snow and fill us with all of the fruits of the Spirit....today!!

Read Acts 3:21 and Revelation 21:1-5.

3:21   Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. 

 21:1   And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 
 21:2   And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 
 21:3   And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God. 
 21:4   And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 
 21:5   And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 

What hope is found in these texts for us? How are we to live as we await this final restoration?

What a blessing this quarter has been. As we near the end of these lessons on stewardship, it is good to see the intent of the author. It has not been about giving more money to the church, but rather in being faithful to God and ourselves in living for others, not self. How can we measure the value of what God is offering us, or how much it cost to be able to make this offer? We can't. Both are immeasurable. Then, let us value both and work accordingly. The cost is a revelation of the grace of God to us while we were yet sinners. The gift being offered is way beyond anything money can buy. Then let us not be foolish in what we decide to do with our time and resources.

Christ worked tirelessly when here for the uplifting of humanity spiritually, mentally, and physically, all as precursor to the final restoration at the end of time. Jesus’ ministry of healing proves that God wants us to be as healthy as we possibly can now until the end comes. Thus stewards develop habits for their minds, bodies, and souls that promote a healthy lifestyle.

First, the mind will grow stronger the more it is used. Habitually, fill your mind with “whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Phil. 4:8. Such thoughts bring peace (Isa. 26:3), and a “sound heart is the life of the flesh” (Prov. 14:30). Healthy habits of the mind allow the citadel of power to operate in the best condition possible.

Second, good health habits, such as exercise and proper diet, indicate that we care about ourselves. Exercise, for example, lowers stress and blood pressure, improves our moods, and is an elixir that is probably more anti-aging than anything available on the shelves.

Third, a steward will develop good habits to invigorate the soul. Lift your soul up to God (Ps. 86:4, 5) and wait (Ps. 62:5). Your soul will prosper “as you walk in the truth” (3 John 3, NKJV) and will be “preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:23, NKJV).

Think about the kind of habits you have and how they impact your spiritual, physical, and mental health. Are there some changes that you need to make that could help you improve in any or all of these areas? What choices can you make and what Bible promises can you claim that will help you improve the quality of your life now as you await your final restoration?

Amen! But, it is almost impossible to do unless we be converted. Some people for various reasons can control the appetite to a great degree, but most cannot. We must be converted that we might have power over the flesh. Fallen flesh does not want to give up what tastes good, no matter that it is filled with cancer and others harmful things.

And, we are witnesses of what is right. If we live wrong, then it will be an influence of death for others. God wants witnesses that when converted, we are different from those who walk after the flesh. Obeying the laws of health are just as binding as obeying the ten commandments. When we do not obey, we suffer great loss. Understanding that we are sinning when we disobey the light given in the area of health, helps us to realize the power of the flesh to keep us from doing what it right. We must have Jesus or else we perish.

The health reform is one branch of the great work which is to fit a people for the coming of the Lord. It is as closely connected with the third angel’s message as the hand is with the body. The law of ten commandments has been lightly regarded by man; yet the Lord will not come to punish the transgressors of that law without first sending them a message of warning. Men and women cannot violate natural law by indulging depraved appetite and lustful passions, without violating the law of God. Therefore he has permitted the light of health reform to shine upon us, that we may realize the sinfulness of breaking the laws which he has established in our very being. Our heavenly Father sees the deplorable condition of men who, many of them ignorantly, are disregarding the principles of hygiene. And it is in love and pity to the race that he causes the light to shine upon health reform. He publishes his law and its penalties, in order that all may learn what is for their highest good. He proclaims his law so distinctly, and makes it so prominent, that it is like a city set on a hill. All intelligent beings can understand it if they will. None others are responsible. To make natural law plain, and to urge obedience to it, is a work that accompanies the third angel’s message. Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, pg 9.

Thus we see that we are not only blessed ourselves, and we are witnesses of God's good ways, we also have been given the health message as the way in which we can reach the lost. It is the "right arm" of the gospel message that will open the doors to many hearts.

[Richard Myers]

Thursday March 22

Habit: Self-discipline

Self-discipline is one of the most important character traits a steward can have. “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (2 Tim. 1:7, NIV). The Greek word for discipline, sophronismos, appears only here in this verse in the New Testament and involves the ability to do what must be done with a balanced, sound mind that will not deviate from God’s principles. Self-discipline can help us “to distinguish good from evil” (Heb. 5:14, NIV), understand situations at hand, and yet calmly and meekly withstand pressures and distractions regardless of outcome. Daniel pursued what was right despite the lions, as opposed to Samson, who lived a self-indulgent life and showed little restraint or sound judgment. Joseph pursued what was right in Potiphar’s house, in contrast with Solomon, who worshiped other gods (1 Kings 11:4, 5).

Read 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.

 9:24   Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 
 9:25   And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they [do it] to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 
 9:26   I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 
 9:27   But I keep under my body, and bring [it] into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 

What does Paul say here about self-discipline? What does he say is ultimately at stake in the whole question of self-discipline?

The discipline Paul is speaking of is power over the flesh, the passions and appetites which are the lower powers. When we abide in Christ and He in us, the mind has power over the flesh, self control because we have the power of the indwelling Spirit. What is at stake is eternal life. If we have not power to keep the body (flesh) under control, then we walk after the flesh, not after the Spirit. Then we are under condemnation and are a castaway.

“The world is given to self-indulgence. Errors and fables abound. Satan’s snares for destroying souls are multiplied. All who would perfect holiness in the fear of God must learn the lessons of temperance and self-control. The appetites and passions must be held in subjection to the higher powers of the mind. This self-discipline is essential to that mental strength and spiritual insight which will enable us to understand and to practice the sacred truths of God’s word.” - Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 101.

Amen! This is the first time I have seen this statement quoted by anyone. Why? Because it is to straight for most. Read the statement in context, it will be even more shocking to most. I read the statement in its context from the platform at the 1990 General Conference Session and it was broadcast by satellite across most of North America. I imagine many church leaders and members cringed, as many will as they now read this truth in the quarterly.

Self-discipline improves through habitual practice. God has called you to “be holy in all you do” (1 Pet. 1:15, NIV) and to “train yourself to be godly” (1 Tim. 4:7, NIV). Stewards must practice and train to be self-disciplined just as much as the most talented athletes or musicians. We must, through God’s power and our own diligent effort, discipline ourselves in the things that really matter.

How can we learn to surrender to the power of God, who alone can give us the self-discipline we need to live as faithful and godly stewards in a fallen and corrupt world?that we be good stewards of the relatively short amount of it we have while here on earth?

We surrender to the power of God by seeing His grace. As we behold the loveliness of Jesus, our heart goes out to Him. Love begets love. We surrender all to Him, because we love Him. We love Him because He first loved us. We have to be reminded continually of who He is and who we are, and of our continual need of Him to do any good thing. When we look at Jesus suffering on the cross because of our sins, we are healed. We surrender all to Him who gave all that we might live!

[Richard Myers]

Friday March 23

Further Thought: Enoch and Noah made it a habit to walk with God in an age when few remained faithful amid excess, materialism, and violence (Gen. 5:24, 6:9). They understood and accepted God’s grace, and were thus good stewards of the possessions and tasks entrusted to them.

Down through the ages, people have walked with God just as Enoch and Noah did. For instance, Daniel and his friends “realized that in order to stand as representatives of true religion amid the false religions of heathenism they must have clearness of intellect and must perfect a Christian character. And God Himself was their teacher. Constantly praying, conscientiously studying, keeping in touch with the Unseen, they walked with God as did Enoch.” - Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 486.

“Walking with God” defines what a steward does, that is, living with God day by day on earth. A wise steward will make it a habit to walk with God amid a world of corruption, for only by this connection with God can we be protected from falling into the prevailing evils.

Being a faithful steward entails an all-encompassing life that begins with being in agreement with God (Amos 3:3). We must walk in Christ (Col. 2:6), walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4), walk in love (Eph. 5:2), walk in wisdom (Col. 4:5), walk in truth (Ps. 86:11), walk in the light (1 John 1:7), walk in integrity (Prov. 19:1), walk in His law (Exod. 16:4), walk in good works (Eph. 2:10), and walk the straight path (Prov. 4:26).

Discussion Questions:

    Define humility and explain its role in the life of a steward (Matt. 11:29, Eph. 4:2, Phil. 2:3, James 4:10). Why is humility important in our walk with God? (Mic. 6:8 ).

    In class, talk about ways we can help those among us who are trapped in bad, even self-destructive habits. What can you as a local church do to help these people?

Teach that we all are trapped in bad  habits until we make a full surrender to Jesus. It is grace that causes us to do otherwise.

    What are some other good habits that Christian stewards should have? See, for instance, Titus 2:7, Ps. 119:172, Matt. 5:8.

All of the fruits of the Spirit, which come when we are truly converted.

    In class, talk about time and the mysteries of time. Why does it seem to go so fast? How do we even understand what time is? And, most important, why is it necessary that we be good stewards of the relatively short amount of it we have while here on earth?

If we are not good stewards, we bring reproach upon Christ, His Word, and the church.