Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and hearts can do that. Norman Vincent Peale

Walking In God’s Favor: If you start thinking to yourselves, “I did all this. And all by myself. I’m rich. It’s all mine!”—well, think again. Remember that God, your God, gave you the strength to produce all this wealth so as to confirm the covenant that he promised to your ancestors—as it is today. Deuteronomy 8:18 MSG

Stewardship Is Your Economic Advantage

Level 4 Stewards humbly recognize the awesome power of God’s favor in their life. They  can feel God’s protection covering their lives, and have personally experienced over and over again God opening doors for them.  They know, that they know, that they know they know,  God has given them the power to have surplus in their lives.

They cheerfully give their first fruit off the top and then some. They have moved beyond the 10% tithe and generously give a love offering out of their surplus. Level 4 Stewards have a personal covenant with God and are living examples of what faithfulness is all about.

I agree with Antonio McGinnis when he  says in his book The Game Is Deep,  “There is no greater feeling than being prepared for every opportunity when it comes your way”.  Level 4 Stewards live each day as if  it is their last day, but plan as if they are going to live forever.

Most of us know instinctively, that we should have a will and last testament, living health directive, and power of  attorney in the invent of major accident or accidental death.  But how many of us invest in the time to secure these valuable life documents. We spend more time planning for a vacation than we do planing for our lives.

A Family Rags to Riches Story

When Ardella and I invested in the time to plan our future lives together, it was very enlightening. We began to think about our financial assets  and the kind of legacy we desired to leave  to our children and grand children.

We considered the physical and medical challenges of aging together gracefully.  More importantly,  we shared our deepest thoughts of how we each wanted to  live our last days and hours of life on this planet.

                                                         Debt-free Cruise to the Bahamas

Many faithful stewards will never experience Level 4 Stewardship in their life time. The will never feel the peace of  God  in this area of financial maturity and responsibility.  They have no desire to move past the known life of stability into the unknown life of surplus.

Living Your Life In The Overflow

The Level 4 Steward’s life has become a reservoir of God’s bountiful blessings.  Blessings seems to overflow in the Level 4 Steward’s  life.  I heard someone say it like this, ” I am drinking from my saucer because my cup is overflowing”.  When  God showers His blessing down on the faithful in Level 4 Stewardship, they wisely store some of their surplus for their future, their legacy, and for the storms of life.

Prayer of Blessing: Lord, thank you for the wealth You have given us.

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 six grandchildren. They currently reside in Huntsville, Alabama and blog weekly from their financial workbook ” The Stewardship of Wealth“.