How a Squirrel Helped Teach Me about Stewardship

I had a late start Saturday morning, but I already felt like I would crush the day. I glanced over at my growing to-do list and thought it all accomplishable. For the past weeks, I had been getting some consistent messaging from the Lord about stewardship. And though I thought I had already received a hefty dose of discipline in this area, He didn’t fail to waste another opportunity to remind me again.

After making a run to my girlfriend’s home, I was finally on my way back to a familiar place. This is its own story, so remind me to tell you about circles when the time is right. Now back to this storyline. The sun wasn’t so high and the humidity not too thick when I set off to walk one of my favorite trails. I took this opportunity to do two things in one, as I typically do out in nature: exercise and pray. Just talking to Jesus. And sometimes singing off-key like the guy I had encountered on this trip. He was disturbing everyone, the ducks included, but clearly didn't care as he was having the time of his life.

After making my way around the pond and through the paved wooded area, I had arrived back at Cam Cam (aka my car). I grabbed my bag and headed back to the perfect seating area I had passed not long ago. Well, it was perfect besides the five mosquito bites I had received within a few short minutes of sitting down to take out my Bible and writing utensils. Psalm 23 had been a chapter of focus for the past week, so I planned to pick up where I left off. However, my brain and fingers registered something different because I ended up turning to Proverbs 23 instead.

Just as I was about to flip back, a squirrel hopped up on one side of the picnic table adjacent to me. I watched him. He watched me. He then proceeded to jump on the tabletop, now inquisitive about all my things. He tiptoed in angles trying to get as close as he could with just enough leeway in case I was a crazy squirrel killer. I thought, man he sure is fearless. I had never seen a squirrel get that close before, especially without food in sight. Maybe he was coming to get the Word in that morning too.

After a couple of minutes, he finally plopped down and took off towards the trees. I happened to glance down at Proverbs 23, and something told me I would be staying there instead of moving on. I began reading midway through the chapter where my eyes had landed. And this verse made me decide I better just read the whole proverb: “Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding” (v.23). I thought about how we pursue and invest in so many things we find valuable, but here we’re exhorted to purchase truth and never to sell it. To invest in wisdom, discipline, and understanding.

Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding.

As I made my way through the passages and footnotes that led me to a slew of other scriptures, it was evident that the Lord was answering one of my morning prayers: Open my eyes and help me to see what you want me to in your Word today. And you guessed it; it was stewardship. I didn't decipher the squirrel's connection to my lesson until my studies landed me at Proverbs 4:7, then 1:7. Proverbs 4:7 states, “Wisdom is supreme, therefore get wisdom. Though it cost you all you have, get understanding." And 1:7 reads, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” It had finally hit me that I was the squirrel. I had forgotten to fear the Lord in all things. The squirrel had been fearless when he probably should not have been, just as I had been fearless of the Lord’s discipline and instruction. And on the flip side, the squirrel was willing to risk His life to get close for the wisdom of the Word.

Give me a good message and I’m there. From various areas of personal struggle or teachings on apologetics, you can catch me glued in. But the Lord was making it painfully obvious that where I lacked wisdom and discipline was fearing Him to do all of what He had asked. Lately, I had come across several passages about being an accountable servant. I first passed by a church that had this verse written on it: “In all toil there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty” (Proverbs 14:23). Another time that same church had shared a passage about every man giving an account to God for his life, referencing Romans 14:12. Just the other day, I had come across the story of the shrewd manager on his way to the unemployment office because he had not managed his boss’ accounts well (Luke 16:1-8). And before that, I had read about the wicked servant who had not invested his master’s resources because of fear (Matthew 25:14-30).

They were me. Being fearful but not of the right One. It was hard hearing that I was the wicked and lazy servant, but it was true. And I saw another truth that we tend to overlook. That any area of weakness or sin in our lives doesn't stay confined but tends to spread like gangrene. I could see that I had not been a good steward of my body, my time, my assignments, my gifts, my relationships, nor my resources. Every area was jacked up. And the Lord let me know in so many scriptures that complacency would lead to ruin. Ruin that wouldn’t just impact me but many others. You see when we’re not in alignment with God’s way and positioning for us, we forfeit not just opportunities for ourselves but we forsake providing something to the Church and the lost world around us that we’re supposed to give.

I’ve shared about my battle with fear in previous blogs. I’m finally coming to learn that having a right and reverential fear of God can help me overcome the fears I have to draw back; to give in to the temptation to just settle by the pool with feet dangling rather than diving in. Being a good servant was going to take more than just loving Jesus, but it was going to take me acting like I really do by getting some wisdom and discipline.

Being a good servant was going to take more than just loving Jesus, but it was going to take me acting like I really do by getting some wisdom and discipline.

I’ll leave you with a couple of things that have started to help me out tremendously in this area of stewardship. While watching a series from Ashley Empowers (I highly recommend you check her out), she shared her strategy to becoming a successful, high-earning housewife. She stated that she takes care of and prepares herself before her family ever wakes. She typically arises by 5 AM, works out, goes on a prayer walk, spends time in the Word, has something to eat, and gets dressed before tending to her husband, children, and business.

Part of stewarding her day entails a step she does the night prior. She makes a list of three to five things she must do but doesn’t feel like doing that would lend to the success of her work. She then focuses on accomplishes these first. At the end of the day, she grades herself on whether she won or lost. She said that losing just provided her another opportunity to learn and stretch herself to be better the next. Now if you're thinking that's a lot to do and no way you'd have time, Ashley recommends just stretching yourself to get up 45 minutes earlier to do a 20-minute prayer walk and spend the remaining time reading your Bible (the physical one). She exhorts that how we start our day sets the course for the rest of our day. And I can assure you, I've noticed a difference already.

When it comes to my financial stewardship, I finally made a budget and started using an expense tracker again. I added a new YouTube channel into my teaching rounds to learn about managing and growing my finances. And I am exercising more self-control by shopping more (Aldi has become my new best friend) and eating out less, which benefits my budget and stomach alike. Although I'm working with limited resources and feel like I'm starting back over in so many ways, I know that if I don't learn how to manage my little, I won't be able to manage more should I ever receive it. And why should God provide me with more if I am unfaithful with what I have now?

There are many more lessons for me to learn about stewardship. My prayer is that by the end of my days, the Lord will have found me more faithful with all He’s given me.

Do you struggle with stewardship? In what area(s)? What are some practical ways you can get wisdom and discipline in these areas to become a better manager and servant of Christ?