Psalms 107—109,1 Corinthians 4 • Key Verses: 1 Corinthians 4:1-2

My daughter came home from an overnight stay at a friend’s house with a latch hook rug she had made. Her friend’s mother had taught the girls how to do latch hook. The process involved attaching pieces of yarn to a plastic grid using a hook. Various colored pieces were placed so that the picture of a cartoon character was evident. Such talent!

Yes, it did take talent, but mostly the picture was the result of following the instructions and the pattern printed on the grid. The more the girls stayed focused on those two things, the better their rugs looked.

It’s the same with life. The better we follow the instructions and the pattern God has given us, the better our lives will be.

Paul helps us stay focused by reminding us of who we are and what we are to do: we are servants who have been entrusted by God to accomplish His will. It’s so easy to lose that focus. We typically have an “I” problem.

When we look at things with our “I,” what God wants is not so clearly seen. It is also hard for an “I” to be a servant. Yet that is exactly what we are—servants who are to be faithful stewards.

Remember that a steward is a manager, not an owner. God entrusts things into our care. What He, the Owner, then requires of us, the manager, is that we be faithful. That is the pattern for our lives, the one that we must keep in focus.

Do you have an “I” problem? It really is easy to see how things get out of focus. Ask God to help you stay focused on His pattern, determining to serve as a faithful steward.

Woodrow Kroll & Tony Beckett
www.backtothebible.in