“Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you — guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us” (2 Timothy 1:14).
As I grow older, I’m more drawn to the idea of stewardship … being a good steward of all that God has entrusted to me. This includes finances but is so much more than that. It also includes my family, time, talents, dreams, and influence.
Paul tells Timothy to “guard the good deposit that was entrusted” to him. Have you ever thought of your talents as God’s deposit in your life? God invested in you. Your abilities are not your own. God gave them to you.
To be a good steward of the resources entrusted to me, I must guard them. This does not mean hiding them. I do not honor God by refusing to share what he has entrusted to me. I honor him when I refine, increase, and expand what he has deposited with me. Since I believe God gave me the gift of teaching, I’m continually trying to get better. Why? I am responsible for what I do with what God has given me.
Fortunately, we are not in this life alone. Paul reminds Timothy that the Holy Spirit is there to help him. God wants you to succeed even more than you want yourself to succeed. It is his name and reputation that is on the line.
Are you guarding what God has entrusted to you?