A Stewardship Reflection on  The Rich Young Man Matthew 19:16-22

When Jesus asks the rich young man to sell his possessions and follow Him, the young man could not. Some of us are materialistic like the rich young man. The thought of being without our cell phone, car or another prized possession is relatable to the young man. On the other hand, some of us have taken on the new culture of minimalism having fewer things and less physical clutter in our lives. It may be hard to identify with the young man if we live this way. 

But Jesus wasn't only talking about tangible possessions. Consider Jesus saying the following: 

"Delete your cloud memory, digital photos and computer storage and follow me."
"Delete your Facebook and connections to the outside world and follow me"
"Stop talking to your family and friends and follow me"

Can you relate to the young man now? Would you turn away if Jesus asked this of you? 

In studying stewardship as a way of life you discover that 
1) A disciple is a steward. The disciples dropped their nets on the beach and followed Jesus. If you understand this radical discipleship, then you understand stewardship.
2) It is not about letting go of family, friends or material needs. It is really about putting God BEFORE all those things. 

If the option is Sunday Mass or brunch with friends, a disciple/steward chooses Mass. 
If the option is volunteering at Church or volunteering outside the Church, a disciple/steward chooses the Church community. A strong Church community influences the social community. A weak Church community makes little impact. 
If the option is following Catholic sources on Facebook versus following other pages, a steward/disciple chooses to hear the voice of God louder than other voices.

Write down your reflections on the following: 
1) Where do I put God first? 
2) How can I do a better job putting God first? 
3) What do I hope to receive by putting God first? (*Hint, it won't be a material need)
4) How can I lead others to put God first? 



Heavenly Father, 
Forgive me for putting so many things before you. Thank you for your mercy and love. My prayer today is that You help me put You before everything in my life. By doing this I will hope to know You better and discover why you created me. Amen.