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Serving God Improves Health---Even Lifts Depression

~~Sharon Merhalski

"As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."  I Peter 4:10-11

Steward---definition:

Strong’s Concordance= manager, overseer, house distributor

Webster’s Dictionary= 1) a person in charge of the affairs of a large household.  2) One who acts as administrator of finances and property of another.  3) One who looks after another’s comfort, needs, and safety.

Many years ago, after reading this portion of scripture,  I made a study of the word "steward."  Like so many Christians I had always connected the word with our money---tithing and giving offerings. But these verses seemed to say the word had a much broader scope. I wanted to know exactly what God expected of me as His child so I read all of the verses in the Bible about stewardship and a steward and dissected them all with the Strong’s Concordance.  I found three passages that were inclusive of all of them: 

I Corinthians 4:2; I Chronicles 28:18; I Peter 4:10-11.  This week I was reminded of this study and it has again both blessed and convicted me about my responsibility to the Lord.

First, I would like us to read I Chronicles 28:1, "And David assembled all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies that ministered to the king by course, and the captains over the thousands, and captains over the hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and possession of the king, and of his sons, with the officers, and with the mighty men, and with all the valiant men, unto Jerusalem."

Stewards are V.I.P’s in the court of the King!  David so valued the stewards in his household--the people tending to all of his substance and possessions---that he called them together with all of the V.I.P’s of his kingdom.  And this verse is a wonderful word picture of how God so values each and every child of His that is tending to all of His substance and possessions on earth.

I am going to dissect the following verses and let God’s Word explain exactly what His steward is to be and do. (Word definitions of the underlined words are from the Strong’s Concordance.)

I Peter 4:10-11

"As every man hath received the gift"....(a divine gratuity, i.e. deliverance (from danger or passion); (specifically) a spiritual endowment, i.e. religious qualification...)

"even so minister"....(to be an attendant, i.e. to wait upon (menially, or as a friend, or teacher)

"one to another, as good stewards"....( a house distributor, i.e. manager or overseer)

"the manifold grace of God"....(graciousness of manner or act; literally, figuratively, or spiritually; especially the divine influence upon the heart and its reflection of the life; liberality, pleasure, thanks.)

"If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God;"....(an utterance of God---His Word and precepts.)

"if any man minister"....(to be an attendant, i.e. to wait upon; menially, or as a friend, or teacher)

"let him do it as of the ability"....(ability, might, power, strength)

"which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."

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