Being Good Stewards
Posted on: September 29, 2014
- In: Everyday Life | Faith
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Some people have the gift of persuading others of their opinion or the wisdom of a course of action. Others draw people in through their charisma.
And some people use these God-given skills in harmful ways.
I’m referring not so much to con artists and cybercriminals as to those who engage in extremist causes and encourage others to do the same.
Increasingly, we hear and read about the recruitment of young people from around the world by terrorist organizations. Drawn in by charismatic and persuasive individuals, they put their technical, athletic and other gifts at the service of groups that spread fear and create only destruction and chaos.
I recently read these words in 1 Peter 4:10-11* (the italics are mine):
As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who utters oracles of God; whoever renders service, as one who renders it by the strength which God supplies; in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.
I wish the members of these organizations were using their God-given gifts to promote hope and love instead of fear and hate, compassion and peace instead of contempt and violence, charity and cooperation instead of murder and mayhem. I wish they were recruiting young people to build schools, homes and infrastructure and not to wield weapons abroad or to carry out violent acts in their home countries. Because what these groups do brings glory to no one.
I pray that none of us would be vulnerable to the misused gifts of those promoting terrorism but that instead, seeing that their words do not line up with God’s truth, we would be good stewards of our own gifts and use them for building up—not for tearing down.
(*Scripture quotes taken from the Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition.)
A Catholic Convert in Ottawa 