LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1981, Page 91

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“ways to win this person to Jesus Christ is through your
“Christian example.
“ Ysea portion of your time for Christian service. Here
“too love leaves no choice. Because Jesus Christ served
‘us, We shall certainly want to serve Him. We are having
‘problems, however, along this line in The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod. Too many of our people are
‘evading their responsibility in this regard. Parents
“yelax in bringing up their children in the love and
discipline of the Lord because they are paying the
Christian day school teacher to do it for them. Members
-of the church relax in doing the work of the Lord—in
witnessing to others concerning Jesus Christ or in
helping fellow church members with their physical or
material problems—because they are paying the preach-
er to do it for them. Members of the Synod relax in their
: concern for the programs and challenges of the Synod
‘because they have filled their envelopes and people are
~-busy—other people.

As Christiansitis nota question of if we have time or
if we have the inclination. As Christians we are to take
the time and, if necessary, make the time for working for
the Lord. And this means the man who is working at
two jobs, and the woman who is working full-time and
still has a home and family to take care for after work,
and the retiree who has already done a great deal for the
church. Remember, the time which you have is a gift of
~ God. Use it wisely and well—not just for yourself and
your family but also for your God and your fellowman.

Use a portion of your time each week for worship in
God’s house. Here too love leaves no choice. Because
Christ has done so much for us, we can’t help but thank
Him, praise Him, and seek to learn more about Him in
His house each Sunday. There is an organization called
“The Mended Hearts” which has more than 100 chap-
ters throughout the country. Its members are primarily

In his book Stewardship in the New Testament
Church Holmes Ralston talks about the love of Christ
constraining us. By the love of Christ, he does not mean
our love for Christ, but first of all, Christ’s love for us.
“We love Him because He first loved us,” says St. John.

“Man’s love springs from the fountain of divine love.
But the driving power of Paul’s life is to be found in his
understanding of the love of Christ for him. Itis because
Paul has been laid hold of by Christ’s great love that he
feels that he must carry on his God-given ministry.”
We did not choose God; God chose us. St. Paul makes
it clear that the love of God is revealed in the death of
Christ:on the cross. He says, “The love of Christ
constrains us. Because we thus judge that One died for
all, therefore all died, and they that live should no
longer live unto themselves but unto Him who for their
sake died and rose again.”

ESSAYS ON STEWARDSHIP 91

people who have undergone open-heart surgery. They
contact other people who have heart problems that only
surgery can help. They share experiences—for example,
setbacks which they have overcome and the new life
which they have enjoyed since their hearts have been
mended.

The church of Jesus Christ is an organization com-
posed of people who have had their hearts mended by
the Great Physician. He mends them through His
atonement in our behalf. Those of us with such mended
hearts find it natural to gather together at least once a
week to support one another, to worship and thank this
Great Physician and help others whose hearts are still
broken. We also gather together to receive additional
medication and nourishment which are available to us
as we hear the Word of God and receive the sacrament of
Holy Communion. Through this sacrament, by the way,
we receive a blood transfusion which we can very much
use. Christ transfers His blood to our body and being
and thus gives us forgiveness and spiritual strength.
Hear the Word and receive the sacrament regularly. Be
sure a day spent in the courts of the Lord is better than a
thousand out on the streets and highways of the world.

Five hundred years from now it won’t matter whether
you lived in a mansion or in ashack, whether you drove
a Rolls-Royce or a jalopy, whether you graduated from
college or signed your name with an X. What will matter
is whether you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal
Savior, whether you gave your life to Jesus Christ.
Actually, loves leaves no choice!

Milton J. Nauss

Unless otherwise indicated, the Scripture quotations in this
essay were from the Good News Bible, the Bible in TODAY’S
ENGLISH VERSION. Copyright © American Bible Society
1966, 1971, 1976. Used by permission.

The Stewardship of Talent

In 2 Cor. 5:14-15 Paul says that the love of Christ is
the constraining power in his life because of his under-
standing of the death of Christ. God has called us,
justified us, and enlisted us to service. This includes the
stewardship of ability and talent, the investment of
abilities.

Ifa man has yielded his life to Jesus Christ, it follows
that the abilities he has should be laid at the altar of
service to God. People vary widely in their abilities.
There are some who have 1 talent and some who have 10
talents. God does not demand of any person the render-
ing of the account of the abilities that he does not have.
But Christ does lay down the principle that God expects
performance from usin proportion to that which He has
given us.

The Scripture says, “For unto whomsoever much is
given, of him shall be much required. And to whom men