Everything I have, including my business, belongs to God. I am just the manager of the materials that God gave me. Robert Wallace

Walking in God’s Favor: Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition definite requests, with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. Philippians 4:6 AMP

We were first introduced to stewardship principles by Elder Harold Lee.   A young family with four children, Ardella  was a stay-at-home mom while I was serving at the United States Naval Base Rough & Ready Island in Stockton, California. Our life’s spiritual journey has never been the same.

God has placed in each of you more potential than you will ever develop and you must choose to develop or not to develop your God-given gifts.  After learning and living stewardship principles for over 25 yeas we have discovered certain levels of stewardship in which you are living  consciously or unconsciously each day of your life.

Level 1 Stewardship – In the Life of Struggle  you learn God is your provider

Level 2 Stewardship – In the Life of Stability you learn God is your deliverer

Level 3 Stewardship – In the Life of  Surplus you learn God is your protector

Level 4 Stewardship – The Life of Sustainability you learn God is your sustainer

Level 1 Stewardship is the life  of struggle. The Level 1 Seward is trying to survive. To keep the lights on, food on the table and gas in the car. I remember as a young father, being so concerned about paying bills and meeting our family financial obligations, I could not think about my higher purpose. Something was missing.

If you are a Level 1 Steward you can become so overwhelmed trying to survive, you cannot hear God’s voice calling you. The Holy Spirit speaking to your heart is drowned out by your immediate basic needs in front of you.

The first lesson you must  learn  in Level 1 Stewardship is, God is the Creator Owner and you are only the manager, apprentice or steward. This spiritual truth must become the foundation of your life. You can easily become a millionaire and be a million miles away from God if you do not internalize this truth.

The second lesson you must learn in Level 1 Stewardship is to put your faith and trust in God. God will supply all you need according to His riches in glory. The wiser steward you become, the more God can trust you with, because He knows you can handle it.  The Level 1 Steward walks by faith and not by sight.

Why is it when God blesses you with a good education, you worship the education. God blesses you with a successful business and you worship the business. God blesses you with  talents and you worship the talent.  Instead of worshiping the Gift Giver you worship the gifts. The Level  1  Stewards learn to worship God as Creator Owner and giver of all gifts.

Prayer of Blessing: Lord we  worship You the Giver of all good gifts.

Michael Vance is a senior account executive  with Hundley Batts & Associates and the co-founder of stewardshipofwealth.com. Ardella Vance is  a gifted educator and  a Master Guide in the Pathfinders  Club, a global organization empowered to teach life and leadership skills to young people.  The Vance’s have been married well over 25 years and share their lives with four adult children and five grandchildren. They currently reside in Huntsville, Alabama and blog weekly from their financial workbook ” The Stewardship of Wealth“.