I. “The Gift Exchange”
Everything you possess in your estate today came to you as a result of a Direct Gift or a Gift Exchange. We learn from the earliest writers of the Old Testament that everything we have comes from God:
Everything we have has come from you, and we only give you what is yours already! (I Chron. 29: 14 TLB)
So, what in the world is my “estate”? Who told you that I have an “inheritance”?
A quick trip to Black’s Law Dictionary will inform us that an estate is: “. . . a word of the greatest extension, and comprehends every species of property, real and personal” . . . like – everything!
It describes inheritance as: “. . . an estate in things . . . descending to the heir.” In other words, your inheritance is everything you have received from someone else.
If someone approached you and asked, “How did you get everything you have today?” You would probably reply rather quickly, “I worked for it, Dummy – how’d you get yours?”
You are to be commended for your honesty! But perhaps, the question could be answered with a little more depth. More accurately, it could be stated: “You TRADED for all your acquired possessions.”
When you get up in the morning and start your work day for that favorite employer of yours, you simply exchange your skills and time for something known as a paycheck which you give to some kind of a banking institution that allows you to parcel out amounts that you then exchange with other individuals or enterprises, for things you want and need. You may alter this routine at times, but basically, the principle is fundamental.
But as you trace the steps backward, you still come again to the ultimate question . . . “Where did you get the basic commodities that you used as trading material for everything else you wanted and needed?” Short answer – THEY WERE GIVEN TO YOU.
You did not purchase your time allotment which you now hold as a possession . . . It was given to you.
You did not negotiate for your basic physical characteristics . . .You inherited them.
You did not bargain on the open market for your basic intellectual capacities . . . You received them as a gift.
You did not ardently go to battle and finally win the power to choose . . . That power was given to you.
Even the environment in which you move and perform your trading activities came to you as . . . part of your inheritance.
It is of extreme importance for you to recognize that everything you now possess was received directly as a gift or was the by-product of a GIFT EXCHANGE.
One of the often-overlooked phrases used in Christ’s parable of the “Talents” (Matthew 25:14-30), reveals the true origin of all possessions: “To one HE GAVE five talents: To one HE GAVE two: To one HE GAVE one. The simple but all-encompassing phrase, “HE GAVE,” can be traced to the beginning of time . . . the complex concept, “HE GAVE,” reaches beyond the limitation of our imagination.
Ultimately, there is only one source of all possessions, one “sole proprietor” of all that exists, whether ordinary or yet to be discovered. That one sole proprietor is Jehovah God – “Yahweh” – the One who describes himself as: “I am that I am” – equally: past, present, and future:
The Giver of every Good and Perfect Gift.
II. “The Agency Agreement”
Now that we have established the notions of your estate, and also your inheritance, let’s discover what we can about your agency agreement.
An Agent, says Black’s Law Dictionary, is a person authorized by another to act for him -- one entrusted with another’s business who undertakes to manage the affair and to render to him an account thereof. In Christ’s teachings, while he was here on earth, we are given a great example of the agency concept:
“I appointed you to go and produce lovely fruit always, so that no matter what you ask for from the Father, using my name, he will give it to you.” (John 15:16 TLB)
The term “using my name” is simply the carrying out of the Agency relationship. It is a “power of attorney” to do as His (Jesus’) agent, what He would do, what He would say, what He would request, if He were here personally.
The definition of a “Power of Attorney” is: a written document given by one person or party to another, authorizing the latter to act for the former in specified matters.
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus. (Colossians 3:17 NIV)
And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. (John 14:13 NIV)
Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive and your joy will be complete. (John 16:24 NIV)
An Agency relationship has been established between Christ and his chosen believers. We are to carry out Christ’s Will here on earth just as if He were here; himself – in person.
But let the Agent be put on notice: Make certain that whatever it is that you are asking for, is what Jesus Christ would have asked for. If you endeavor to acquire and accumulate things for your own selfish manipulation or consumption alone, you will be breaching your fiduciary responsibility. If you use your “power of attorney” to ask for things that Christ would not have asked for, the situation could result in your being charged with forgery.
You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. (John 14:14 NIV)
Wow! The whole idea of the “Agency Agreement” in relationship with God, Himself, is enough to stretch your mind and challenge your heart! It also makes me think about the tremendous responsibility that goes along with my Life of Stewardship!
III. “The Trust Account”
It was an amazing day when it vividly dawned on me that it is possible that all that I possess has been given to me . . . and I am simply a Trustee. . . all my estate and inheritance has been deposited into my “Trust Account.” And it had been deposited there with the full intent to be distributed out in order to benefit the kingdom of God!
When that insight dawned on me, I went back to Black’s Law dictionary to find out for myself. I looked under “Trust” . . .
Trust: A right of property, real or personal, held by one party for the benefit of another. A confidence reposed in one person, who is termed the trustee, for the benefit of another. . . Any arrangement whereby property is transferred with intention that it be administered by the trustee for another’s benefit.
Oh, my goodness! . . .What a concept – Is it really possible that all those things listed in my “Inventory Portfolio” were placed there by God, either directly or through a “gift exchange” not for my enjoyment alone, but also for the benefit of others?
I then went to God’s Word and found:
You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion . . .
(2 Corinthians 9:11 NIV)
I took special note of the “so that” which revealed the true motivation for accumulation:
God
· Sole Proprietor
· Owner and Grantor of Everything
Deposits Certain Things into My
TRUST ACCOUNT
Financial Inventory Relational Inventory
Personal Inventory Spiritual Inventory
Special Inventory
What I have inherited up to the present is what I have in my current inventory portfolio.
So, . . . back to Black’s Law Dictionary:
Trust: (continued) A fiduciary relation with respect to property, subjecting person by whom the property is held to equitable duties to deal with the property for the benefit of another person which arises as the result of a manifestation of an intention to create it. An obligation on a person arising out of confidence reposed in him to apply property faithfully and according to such confidence; as being in the nature of deposition by which proprietor transfers to another property of subject entrusted, not that it should remain with him, but that it should be applied to certain uses for the behoof of third party.
I didn’t know that a person could have a spiritual experience just reading a Law Dictionary! But I was beginning to clearly understand that this is not an option but a mandate. It talked of obligation . . . and confidence:
So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them: Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:27-28 KJV)
The apostle Paul posed a penetrating question to his friends in Corinth:
What do you have that God hasn’t given to you? (I Cor. 4:7 TLB)
Obviously, the answer is . . . NOTHING! Everything I have in my inventory portfolio, ultimately came as a bestowment from God. But that bestowment brings with it an obligation. A “fiduciary relationship” is created:
So, . . . back to Black’s Law Dictionary:
Fiduciary Capacity: . . . when the business which he transacts, or the money or property which he handles, is not his own for his own benefit, but for the benefit of another person, as to whom he stands in a relation implying and necessitating great confidence and trust on the one part and a high degree of good faith on the other part.
We have been given our inheritance for a reason. God, the Owner of everything, deposits into our Trust Account not only sufficiency for meeting our own needs, but inventory portfolios which are expressly for the benefit of others. Without his generous deposits, we would be hopelessly destitute.
Consider for a moment the confidence that God expressed in you, when he deposited your inheritance into your Trust Account believing that you would respond to that arrangement as a “Trustworthy Administrator.” He is counting on you as an integral part of his plan for meeting the needs of others around you. If you fail in your TRUSTEE responsibility, the whole plan suffers. But as you faithfully respond and others faithfully respond, then God’s plan has a chance to function efficiently.
**So, the inventory in your Trust Account is to be Administrated by You, the Trustee, for the Benefit of Others:
Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and should give happily to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them. (I Tim. 6:18 TLB)
For God, who gives seed to the farmer to plant, and later on, good crops to harvest and eat, will give you more and more seed to plant and will make it grow SO THAT you can give away more and more fruit from your harvest. (2 Corinth. 9:10 TLB)
**As You, the Trustee, Transfer inventory out of your Trust Account into the Trust Accounts of Others, God Makes Compensating Deposits into your Trust Account . . . thus Allowing you to Give Even More into the Trust Accounts of Others:
Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. (I Corinth. 4:2 NIV)
For the man who uses well what he is given shall be given more, and he shall have abundance. (Matt. 25:29 TLB)
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. (Luke 6:38 NIV)
There is no need for God to make a compensating deposit into your Trust Account until you have made a Trust Account Transfer (TAT) into the account of another.
**God Determines the AMOUNT, KIND and TIMING of the Compensating Deposits . . . the Trustee is Only Responsible for the Current Inventory in the Account.
If you are really eager to give, then it isn’t important how much you have to give. God wants you to give what you have, not what you haven’t. (2 Cor. 8:12 TLB)
Many people become disillusioned and even bitter because they try to dictate to God the AMOUNT, KIND and TIMING of the compensating deposits. Relax into the awareness that God has everything under control. God is so creative, and He knows exactly what He needs you to have in your TRUST ACCOUNT. What is it that you are going to do with what you have?
Recall what God’s response was to Moses when he was in need of a great miracle in escaping Egypt and Pharaoh – “What is that in your hand, Moses?” Concentrate on how you are going to manage what it is that you have and not what you haven’t.
**God Has Guaranteed to Take Care of All Your Personal Needs as Trustee as Long as You Are Faithfully Administrating Your Trust Account.
Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us . . . (Ephes. 3:20 KJV)
Day by day the Lord observes the good deeds done by godly men, and gives them eternal rewards. He cares for them when times are hard; even in famine, they will have enough . . .I have been young and now I am old. And in all my years I have never seen the children of the godly go hungry. Instead, the godly are able to be generous with their gifts and loans to others, and their children are a blessing. (Psa. 37:18-19, 25-26 TLB)
**A Neglected Opportunity for a Trust Account Transfer (TAT) Negates the Necessity of a Compensating Deposit.
It is possible to give away and become richer! It is also possible to hold on too tightly and lose everything. Yes, the liberal man shall be rich! By watering others, he waters himself. (Prov. 11:24-25 TLB)
**As a Faithful Trustee, Your Trust Account Is Guaranteed Never to Be Declared “Bankrupt.”
The good news is that you will always have something in your Trust Account that you can share with someone around you:
But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:19 KJV)
The Lord will give you abundance of good things in the land, just as he promised: many children, many cattle, and abundant crops. He will open to you his wonderful treasury of rain in the heavens, to give you fine crops every season. He will bless everything you do; and you shall lend to many nations . . . (Deuteronomy 28:11-13 TLB)
Those who love and follow me are indeed wealthy. I fill their treasuries. (Prov. 8:21TLB)
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so that there will be food enough in my Temple; if you do, I will open up the windows of heaven for you and pour out a blessing so great you won’t have room enough to take it in! “Try it! Let me prove it to you! Your crops will be large, for I will guard them from insects and plagues. Your grapes won’t shrivel away before they ripen,” says the Lord of Hosts. “And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land sparkling with happiness. These are the promises of the Lord of Hosts.” (Malachi 3:10-12 TLB)
**Deposited into Your Trust Account Is Exactly What Someone Around You Needs.
Tell those who are rich not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which will soon be gone, but their pride and trust should be in the living God who always richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and should give happily to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them. (I Timothy 6:17-18 TLB)
. . . but you should divide with them. Right now, you have plenty and can help them; then at some other time they can share with you when you need it. In this way each will have as much as he needs. (2 Corinth. 8:14 TLB)
How is your sensitivity level to God’s will as it relates to the needs of those around you?
**If You Try to Selfishly Hoard That Which Has Been Deposited into Your Trust Account, It Will Become “Miser’s Manna” and Will Turn into Rot!
For unless you are honest in small matters, you won’t be in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won’t be honest in greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? (Luke 16:10-11 TLB)
Do you remember the interesting episode that occurred during the exodus of Moses and the children of Israel? God had promised that He would provide for His people. When they needed direction, He sent a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to guide them. When they were thirsty, God had Moses strike a rock with that humble rod, and water poured out. When people became hungry, God produced a phenomenal product called “manna” which looked a lot like early morning frost and tasted like honey bread. God instructed them that they did not need to be apprehensive about the sufficiency of the Source or greedy in their gathering. God assured them that there would always be enough to meet their needs.
However, taking God at His word doesn’t always seem to be the natural course for mankind. Sure enough, their fears found them fetching and hoarding more than they needed. And when they went back to their hoarded treasure, they found not “manna” but only mildew and maggots!
WHAT A SURPRISE -- WHAT AN AWSOME TRUTH!
Whenever you get a blessing from God, give it back to Him as a love gift. Take time to meditate before God and offer the blessing back to Him in a deliberate act of worship. If you hoard a thing for yourself it will turn into spiritual dry rot, as the manna did when it was hoarded. God will never let you hold a spiritual thing for yourself, it has to be given back to Him that He may make it a blessing to others. (Oswald Chambers)1
I am so very thankful for the personal privilege of the Stewardship of Life opportunity, along with the three Components of such a privilege: The Gift Exchange, The Agency Agreement, and The Trust Account.
Next Week: Stewardship of Life Part 3: The Leveling Question