Fully Immersed
The following reflection was extracted from the Stewardship Study Bible published by Zondervan.
Repentance isn't just a matter of our heads or hearts—or even our lips. Repent is an action verb; repentance is something we do.
Bible scholar and theologian Mark Allan Powell relates a tidbit of historical legend, but his point is right on the "money":
Have you heard the story about the baptism of the Gauls? It may not be historically factual, but this is not a history book, so we won't worry too much about that.
The Gauls were a warlike people who, in ancient times, inhabited what is now France and Belgium. They spoke a Celtic language and were Druidic by religion. By the time of the Christian era they had been conquered by the Roman Empire and were supposedly under its control. The extent of this control varied, however, for the Gauls never did take too well to being conquered . . .
A number of Christian missionaries ventured into Gallic territory and, over time, many of the Gauls became Christians. As the story goes, when a converted warrior was baptized in a river or stream, he would hold one arm high in the air as the missionary dunked him in the water. When the next battle or skirmish broke out, the warlike Gaul would proclaim "This arm is not baptized!" grab up his club or sword or ax and ride off to destroy his enemy in a most unchristian manner.
As I've indicated, this story is probably not historically authentic . . . I just find the image so compelling: the picture of someone—anyone—trying to keep one part of their body, one aspect of their identity, free from the influence of baptism.
This [Stewardship Bible] is about stewardship, and stewardship is about getting completely wet. It is about looking at ourselves, discovering what it is that we would like to keep dry, and then immersing whatever that is in the waters of Holy Baptism.
When you hear the word stewardship, what is the first thing you think of?
Many people say, "Money," and there may be two different reasons for that. First, there is a lingering misconception among many Christians that stewardship is just a fancy word for "fundraising." But stewardship is not fundraising. It is a way of life.
Still, there is another reason why people associate stewardship with money, and I think that this second reason is completely appropriate. In today's world, money is the one thing that many of us would most like to keep dry. I picture modern Christians going under the water with that outstretched arm clutching . . . not an ax or a war hammer, but a purse or wallet. And that is why, when we talk about stewardship today, we often talk about money more than we do about anything else.
Faith & Finance Perspective
Here are some hard but necessary questions we need to ask ourselves on the road to becoming thriving Kingdom stewards:
· Why is it impossible to compartmentalize my Christianity?
· How is repentance an action verb?
· What am I trying to keep dry?
As you reflect on the story above, consider this prayer:
“Lord, this story strikes a chord in me. I, like the Gaelic soldier, tend to hold certain things out of your reach and away from your eyes. Some of those things I withhold from you without knowing it. Help me to discern, to repent, to offer all my life in sacrificial love to you.”
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:2