Give an Account of Thy Stewardship

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«Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed Me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed Thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse; for ye have robbed Me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove Me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.» Malachi 3:8-10.

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We have just entered upon a new year, but little more than a month of it having passed into eternity. What has been the record of this beginning of the year? Have you been recounting the mercies you have received of God? and have you brought your offerings to Him of the abundance He has bestowed upon you? Have you even brought all the tithes into the storehouse, thus returning to the Lord that which is his own?

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The property that God has entrusted to the stewardship of man, is not to be hoarded. O that men and women would arouse to this fact, and venture something for the truth’s sake. Trust in God should lead us to commit the keeping of our temporal matters to Him; but too much time is spent in calculating consequences. Worldly gain, laying up treasure on earth, is the mania. But Christ said, «Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.»

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The worldly treasure is a lodestone to hold the thoughts and control the judgment. There are great pecuniary advantages to be gained by investing means in various worldly enterprises; and the great majority of Christian professors press on in this path. They pursue their own ends as eagerly as if to gain the world would entitle them to eternal life. They selfishly waste the substance entrusted to them, expending money needlessly for the gratification of pride. Worldly requirements,-eating, dressing, recreation, the embellishment of their houses,-use up their means. And when their tithes and offerings are called for, and their energies are needed in work for their fellow-men, they withhold from God this proof of a love that He is every way worthy to receive; for the vital energies and the impulses of the soul have been exhausted in the struggle after worldly gain.

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Selfishness contracts the heart; benevolence expands it. Selfishness is a demon whose name is legion; in every age it has seemed that this demon would drive Christ and the spirit of self-sacrifice out of the world. Through its influence the church is weak when it ought to be a power. Who shall tell how many souls have been robbed of the gospel of Christ by the apathy of Christians in withholding means and personal effort? The church has thus put out her own light, and has become the by-word of infidels.

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Selfishness exists everywhere, in hearts where it is least suspected. It is this curse of selfishness, in the various phases in which it is manifested, that makes so many joyless Christians. God has entrusted to them means to be used in building up his kingdom; but they are not using his gifts to his glory. They are not working in harmony with Christ; they are lovers of self more than lovers of God and his word. This is why there is often contention in the church, until fault-finding, envy, jealousy, and strife for the supremacy become the native element. Inordinate self-love lies at the foundation of so much contention in the churches.

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What has Jesus done to rescue a lost world from perdition? He did not send an angel to redeem the fallen world; but for our sakes He became a «man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.» The love of Christ-how deep, how broad, how full! He designed to save man by his own infinite sacrifice. The cross of Calvary was to be to men a convincing argument that his interest and theirs were identical. When He ascended to heaven, and the portals of the city were thrown open to Him with rejoicing, his plea to the Father was, «I will that they also whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am, that they may behold [share] my glory.»

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Now those whom Christ calls his own, whom He has sacrificed so much for, will not, cannot, enjoy anything selfishly. Their interest will be identified with that of their Redeemer. To every one of them will be given opportunities to show their love for his dear name by consecrating to Him themselves and the possessions He has loaned them on trust. Jesus expects nothing less of them than that the claims of his kingdom, the boundless love he has manifested towards them, will awaken a response in their hearts, an interest that will overbalance every worldly consideration. There must be no cessation of benevolent acts. New channels for their outflow will be opening around us in this day of preparation for the great event, the coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven. Link after link they form a golden chain of love, binding heart to heart, and all hearts to Christ’s great heart of infinite love. When this love takes possession of the heart, the plans devised to spread the light of truth and extend the Redeemer’s kingdom will seem too small, the most costly offering too cheap. The icy spirit of selfishness will melt away, and in its place benevolence will well up like a living fountain to overflow and bless.