Great "Crown Financial Ministries" article

The principle of Lordship
By Chuck Thompson, Editor


Having Lordship as a guiding principle in your own life is a process of spiritual renewal. It involves commitment and a steady pursuit of God and His Kingdom. Here are six practical steps to living out the principle of Lordship in your own life.

1. Daily surrender to God in every financial decision. Like everyone else on earth, you are impacted by the epic battle that continuously rages between the opposing forces of God’s Economy and Man’s Economy.

One conflict in this battle involves purpose. In Man’s Economy, your purpose is centered around personal fulfillment and happiness. In God’s Economy, it’s centered around being a trustworthy steward. Another conflict in this battle involves goals. In Man’s Economy, your goals are self-benefiting. In God’s Economy, your goals are set with the objective of following His will.

By surrendering daily to God in every financial decision, you can be a wise steward and set right goals for your life. “Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the counsel of the Lord will stand” (Proverbs 19:21 NASB).

A modern-day example of surrender is Stanley Tam, who gave ownership of his company, U.S. Plastics, to the Lord. The company has been a success story and has given tens of millions of dollars to evangelism, resulting in thousands of decisions for Christ.

2. Trust God’s direction for each decision. One of the best examples of trust in the Bible is the story of Gideon, whom God appointed to deliver Israel from the oppression of the Midianites.

Judges 7 tells how God led Gideon to reduce his army from 32,000 to 10,000, a reduction of 69 percent. But then, God led Gideon to make a 97 percent cut, leaving him with only 300 men. Gideon trusted the Lord, who gave him a great victory with an amazingly small army.

We need to seek God’s wisdom in all decisions, remembering that He is all-powerful, knows everything, and has our best interests at heart.

3. Practice using the pronoun “His” instead of “mine.” Romans 11:35-36 asks, “ ‘Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?’ For from him and through him and to him are all things” (NIV). All things truly are “His,” and acknowledging this fact is a freeing experience because we realize the future is His responsibility.

You may worry about losing things as a result of circumstances you can’t control, but not if you’re trusting God with the outcome. You may experience discontentment because of what you don’t have, but not if you trust God’s provision for your life.

4. List every resource you have and transfer ownership to God. Sharla Bickley, director of lifestyle stewardship at Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Dallas, took this step even further. Because she is a “very visual learner,” she placed “Property of God” labels on items in her home. Depending on how you learn, you may think of other creative ways to take this important step.

In Psalm 50:12 God reminds us, “If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is Mine, and all it contains” (NASB).

This fourth step, like all the others, is an ongoing process. So, make it a habit that whenever you buy an item, you acknowledge God’s ownership of what you’ve just purchased.

5. Use God and His Word as your primary source of counsel. Proverbs 30:5 tells us, “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him” (NIV).

Crown Cofounder Larry Burkett recognized the importance of God’s Word. He wrote, “One of the overwhelming characteristics of those who discern God’s will for their lives is that they continually seek to put God first. We must keep our priorities in the correct order. Living by the Word of God is the best insurance policy in the world.”

6. Nurture intimacy with God through prayer. In Daniel 6:10 we read that Daniel was in the habit of praying on his knees three times a day.

Businessman R.G. LeTourneau, a pioneer in earth-moving equipment, also knew the value of prayer. At a low point in his career LeTourneau prayed to God, “I’m not asking You not to let me down. I’m asking You to help me not let You down. I’m not asking to use You. I’m asking You to use me.”1 LeTourneau was successful, and he was a major supporter of God’s work during his lifetime.

We should pray regularly, seeking God’s will for our lives and always building our relationship with Him. Ephesians 6:18 instructs us to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (NIV).

Nurturing intimacy with God through prayer will help us stand against the forces that are continuously trying to pull us into Man’s Economy. As a result, we can be wise stewards of the resources God has entrusted to us and make a lasting difference for His Kingdom on this earth.