God’s Greatest Gifts are Yet to Come

From Dan Conway’s The Good Steward, May 2007

“To be a steward of joy means recognizing that God’s greatest gifts are yet to come. It means accepting that there is more to life than what we experience here and now. It also means taking on the responsibility to nurture the hope of heaven and to share it with others. A steward of joy is someone who refuses to settle for less than complete satisfac­tion. A steward of joy holds onto the promise that we will one day be united with God, and one another, in a better place than this.

The most consistent temptation that most of us face in our daily lives is to settle for less. We seek happiness and fulfill­ment in the things of this world—in fame, fortune or worldly success. Or in material things like houses, cars, the lat­est fashions or widescreen TVs. None of these things is bad. Everything that God made is good, but to search for the satis­faction of our heart’s desire in worldly things can only lead to disappointment and, ultimately, to despair.

A new house or car won’t make us truly happy. More money in the bank is not the key to success. Fame doesn’t last. Power is an illusion. Youth and beauty always fade. These things are not the meaning of life or the reason for our existence. At best, the material things that we desire are means to a worthwhile end: providing for life’s necessities, raising a family and doing worthwhile work without having to worry constantly about where the money will come from to live a decent life. …”

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