Stewardship - Personality or Character

​Love you all, praying for you.
 
I just love God’s Word.  It reveals truth, and exposes lies.  Have you ever met someone or maybe know someone who uses personality as an excuse?  They are acting or behaving in a way that is less than honoring or honorable, and instead of admitting it, and considering a change, they pull out the personality card.  “That’s just my personality.”   Or “You’re just like that, I’m not built that way.”  Character supersedes personality.  You may be an introvert, or an extrovert, but saying “hello” when someone greets you – is character, not personality.  It might come more naturally for some than others, but it’s a character requirement, not a personality trait.  If you don’t do it, it’s not personality you lack, it's character.  Do you know what many people struggle with that is far more important than they realize?  Order versus disorder.  Many people, maybe even most, live lives of disorder.  Having never been trained when they were young, they live adult life with the unformed habits of a child or teenager.  Most people love podcasts and blogs – until they hit a nerve.  Have you ever had a friend that every time you went to their house, it was neat and clean, yard beautiful, toys in the toybox, kitchen sparkling.  What did you think?  Impressive?  Or Impossible?  You may have said to yourself, “They’re just neat freaks.”  No, they value something that God values.  They understand the difference between order and disorder, confusion and peace.  Have you ever gone to a friend’s house that’s a wreck?  The first thing they say, every time you enter their house, “Please excuse the mess, we have kids.”  House in disarray, toys everywhere, dishes from breakfast and lunch still on the table, or piled up in the sink, while the kids are already on to watching a movie or playing video games.  Coffee cup from this morning still on the end table… What do you think?  Is it a personality issue? Or a character issue?  It’s certainly a value issue.  What we value, we do.  What we don’t value, we don’t.  Even a child is known by his actions, whether his conduct is good and right. (Proverbs 20:11) Parents.  Do not let your child much less your teenager live in a messy room.  It’s a God thing.  What about you?  Have you learned to steward the things God has entrusted to you – in a way that honors God – and draws His presence?  Or do you live in disorder, and the chaos and confusion that comes with it?  We’re not talking personality here, this is character.  Luke 16:11 – Whoever is faithful with little, is faithful also with much, and whoever is unfaithful with little is also unfaithful (unrighteous) in much.  If therefore, you have not been faithful in the use of worldly wealth (stewardship of physical possessions), who will entrust the true riches to you?  There is a principle that God gives:  Natural before Spiritual.   How you steward the natural – is not unimportant, it’s not personality – its character.  How you steward the natural reveals how trustworthy and capable you are to be entrusted with the spiritual.  That’s why it’s difficult if not impossible to live in disorder in the natural, and have order in the spirit.   “For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace.”   “Let everything be done decently, and in order.”  “The reason I left you behind in Crete, was to put things in order…”   Order is not important to some people, but God is not one of those people.  Even sacrifices had to be offered in order.  What is order?  Regular disposition.  What is disposition – the methodical arrangement of things.  So what is disorder?  Want of order (lack of it). Irregular disposition, chaos, confusion, things out of place.  Order pertains to more than physical possessions.  There is moral order.  Cheat on your spouse, it’s out of order, and outside of God’s blessing.  There is civil order.  Lack of it, brings chaos and rioting in the streets.  There is meeting order – proper meeting protocol, civically Roberts Rules of Order for method and procedure of meeting.  People talk of having your finances in order – in their proper place,  knowing where they are, and directing them accordingly (better yet, have God direct them).  God says He is a God of order.  And He reveals He is not a god of disorder.  “For where you have jealousy and self-interest, there you find disorder, and every evil practice.” – James 3:16   God states a shocking truth.  Some things go together.  They are inextricably linked.  Disorder comes with every evil practice.  Disorder is confusion, the lack of peace.  What most people do not understand.  Natural before spiritual.  Living in order – stewarding well the things God has entrusted to you, is a spiritual exercise, a spiritual priority.  Those who struggle with keeping a house in order – it’s a value issue, not a personality issue.  What we value we do, what we don’t, we don’t.  A powerful verse in Proverbs – about a wise man.  What made him wise?  He saw, He observed, He learned a lesson, and he applied his heart to it.  “I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacked sense.  Thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins.  I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw:  A little sleep a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come on you like a bandit, and scarcity like an armed man.”  What was this verse about?  The sluggard?  No, it was about the wise man and what made him wise.  He was willing to hear and change his ways.  Does having a clean house get you to heaven?  No.  But if it’s the house God gave you, if it’s God’s house, and it is… it should reflect Him.  Why do most people struggle in keeping their house or room or car clean?  They don’t value order – they are content with disorder.  What appalls the average person, they don’t even notice anymore.  What they don’t realize is that God is a God of order not disorder.  He’s a God of peace, not confusion.   And if you want His peace in your home, it comes with God’s order.  “But I’ve always lived this way, we’ve always had a messy house, my parents did, and their parents before them.”  That is a curse that needs to be broken.  God is a God of blessing, not curses.  First repent. Think differently than you’ve thought -perhaps all your life.  Like the wise man learn a lesson from what you see.  If God is a God of order and peace… then for God’s peace to rest and remain on your home – your house must be in His order.  It doesn’t matter if its moral order, civil order, family order – children obey your parents, husbands love your wives, wives submit to your loving husband who lays down his life for you.  That’s God’s order.  And your physical possessions – must also reflect the Order of God – so the Peace of God can remain on your house, and you prove trustworthy to be entrusted with Spiritual things.  God’s word says be careful how you hear.  If this makes you bristle, it may not be for you.  You may not be ready yet.  You may have excuses, or past issues or whatever.  But if you will humble yourself, and like the wise man – be willing to change.  The God of order, the God of peace, will rest on your house.  And your children and children’s children will be blessed.  The curse will be broken.   Five Steps of Stewardship.   #1 The Pre-Requisite - Everything has a place.  For the possessions in your house, what place has God assigned it?  Ask Him. If it doesn’t have a place, maybe you’re not the one who is to steward it.  Give it to someone who has a place for it.  God’s Order or Regular Disposition – means everything in it’s place.  #2 The Standard - Every Surface Clean.  Nothing on the surface except decoration, nothing on the floor except furniture.  The standard of stewardship must be observable and doable.  Every surface clean is black and white, no gray.  #3 The Rule – Put it away before you do anything else.  There should never be a dish in the sink – why?  Wash it, dry it, and put it away.  It takes so little time, and the habit of diligence propels you to get to the next thing God has for you – even if it’s rest!  There should never be dirty or clean laundry in the laundry room.  It’s either in the washer, in the dryer, or on a hanger in your closet.  There should never be shoes on the floor – put them on the shelf, in your closet, or wherever shoes in your house belong.  The only reason there is mess – disorder – irregular disposition - things not in their proper place is… people invert the rule!  They do something else, before they put it away – instead of “put it away before you do anything else.”   This is so simple it’s kind of embarrassing.  Follow this rule – and your house will be in God’s order, and His peace will remain.   #4 Clean Regularly – Steady Plodding – not all at once.  Here is a secret: Half-Two – Half hour daily, 2 hours weekly.  Once things are in place, the house still needs to be clean.  But that’s easy! Dust & Vacuum daily, Weed the yard daily – takes 5-10 minutes tops.  Scrub Bathrooms weekly.  Get your list of daily, weekly, and monthly chores and just do them when it’s time.  God said there is a proper time and procedure for every matter… Steady plodding brings prosperity.   #5 – Accountablity. Intervals.  To ensure you actually remain consistent.  Until you learn.  Do Intervals.  Whoever is at home.  Every 9am, 12:00 noon, 3pm, 6pm, and 9pm.  Everyone do a run-through of the house.  Not to clean.  To identify anyone who left something not in it’s place.  The one who didn’t put it away before they did anything else.  That person, not mom, not dad, that person must now put it away before they do anything else.  Three hours from now, they’ll be told again for the next thing they left out.  So they might as well Put it away before you do anything else.  Intervals – modify behavior permanently.  Go every hour if you have to, eventually twice a day will suffice.  Championship teams hold each other accountable.  In order for you to no longer be the sluggard, with weeds everywhere – but the wise man, who learned a lesson from what He saw… you must change your habits which will change your behavior.  Intervals apply God’s Word.  Here’s what He said.  Bear one another’s burdens. (Gal 6:2) But He also said each one must carry their own load. (Gal 6:5)  Don’t clean up after people – or you’ll have to do it again.  Dad and Mom lead the way, children will follow.  Train them up in the way they should go, and when they are old they will not depart from it.  You will either live in mess and stress, or in God’s peace.  You will live in Order – not disorder – the regular disposition that God can bless that reflects God, the God of order – so His Peace will descend on your home.  It will rest and remain.  Change little habits.  BRCBC – Bed, Room, Clothes, Bath, Clean.  The moment you wake up, when your feet hit the floor - make your bed, even before you brush your teeth.  Your bed will always be made.  Have a cloth in your car.  When you get in, dust the dashboard and console before you leave the driveway.  Every time.  And your car will always be excellent – it will reflect the owner.  Not you, it’s God’s car – it will reflect him.  When you come home from work, or anywhere, take everything from the car with you.  And your car will always reflect the order and peace of God.  It will be a place of worship, a place of excellence.  Little steps bring permanent change.  Know God’s place for everything in your house.  Know the standard of God’s order.  Every surface clean.  Live by the one rule or Order.  Put It Away Before You Do Anything Else.  And to keep yourself and your family accountable – Do intervals every hour or two hours or three – until God’s Order is your habit.  And God’s peace will rest on your home, and your life!  You will prove yourself faithful to be entrusted with greater things.  Your cars and your home, young person – your room, or your college dorm room – should reflect God’s order – not disorder which comes with every evil work.   This is not personality, this is character.  Your character should reflect God’s character, He’s a God of order.  So be honest, are you even still listening to this?  Or did you turn off the audio or stop reading long ago…  Here’s a test.  If you found yourself saying “But…” that horrible 3-letter word.  “But I’ve got kids,”  “But my work schedule is crazy,” “But this… But that…” If there’s always a but… your butt’s too big.  This isn’t personality, this is character.  For the God of order to rest on your home, you need to be like the wise man, learn a lesson, and change.  Most people don’t, their pride keeps them from it.  They make excuses, even theological ones.  They will not do it.  They will not change.  They are comfortable in their disfunction.  My prayer is that you will humble yourself, and accept the Word planted in you that can save you.  God has good for you – but to get His good, you must walk in His ways.  He is a God of order not disorder – He’s the God of peace.  What you were, you no longer will be.  The curse is broken, His grace is sufficient.  You will never again say, “please excuse the mess,” No, you’ll have a testimony to overcome with!  You will welcome people into your home, at any time - full of the peace of God.  They will notice the difference.  And when they comment… you can share the God who delivers!  Who breaks generational curses, who gives grace, to establish your life in His ways!  His order brings peace, every time.  Don’t the devil lie to you.  Jesus said, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”  He has good for you – for the wise and the willing.
 
Love you all,
dad