Whether it is about buying cars, Coke or washing detergent, television commercials tell me that the most important person in my life is me. Of course, at one level they are quite correct, because if I don’t look after myself I just may not be in a fit state to look after anyone else. But there is a sense in which my concern for the good of others is a very important part of who I am, so to neglect my need to love and support others is in essence a neglect of the real me.
Take this argument a step further. If all my responsibilities are focussed on me and my needs, these responsibilities eventually lose their value. However, the value of these responsibilities, and therefore the benefit that I will gain from them, comes when I acknowledge that what I am doing has a higher benefit.
The responsibilities that we have as employees of Baptistcare, or for that matter the membership of our local club, or as a member of a family, gain greater significance when the focus is not upon what I can get out of the relationship, but what I can contribute to that relationship or situation.
For me stewardship means acknowledging that all that I have has been entrusted to me by God. It enables me to be thankful that I have a job, a family, a roof over my head, and some great friends. Stewardship means putting my best into what I do and nourishing the relationships I have so that the people around me will benefit. It means taking personal responsibility for maintaining a high and noble view of life and looking beyond the present and the mundane.
Stewardship is....
I’d love to hear your ideas.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Stewardship
Strange as it may seem to some people, I like books. I have a bookshelf on which stands a number of books that were handed down from my dad. To some observers they are just old books, but I hold them with pride because of their age and what they represent to me. I treasure these books, not because they are mine, but because I have a sense that I am holding them on behalf of a previous generation.
This is the essence of stewardship. Dictionary.com describes a steward as a person who manages another's property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others. Christians usually add another dimension to stewardship, acknowledging that God has given us the responsibility and privilege to look after his creation and recognise his sovereignty in all things.
We’ve had a bit of a break over Christmas but as we come back to reflecting on Baptistcare’s values, we come to the fourth which is “Stewardship of the responsibilities in our care.”
As we think about all that we have responsibility for in the workplace, the hardware and property, the people, the relationships, and the intellectual property, we can take the view that these things are just paperbacks that we have picked up at the local book exchange, or we can treasure them like some of my dad’s old books that carry memories, emotion, history and value.
Working for Baptistcare is a means to put bread on the table and a roof over our heads, but greater worth and value is given to that job when we recognise our role as stewards of all the responsibilities in our care.
Can you suggest any ways that we exhibit this sense of stewardship in our workplace?
This is the essence of stewardship. Dictionary.com describes a steward as a person who manages another's property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others. Christians usually add another dimension to stewardship, acknowledging that God has given us the responsibility and privilege to look after his creation and recognise his sovereignty in all things.
We’ve had a bit of a break over Christmas but as we come back to reflecting on Baptistcare’s values, we come to the fourth which is “Stewardship of the responsibilities in our care.”
As we think about all that we have responsibility for in the workplace, the hardware and property, the people, the relationships, and the intellectual property, we can take the view that these things are just paperbacks that we have picked up at the local book exchange, or we can treasure them like some of my dad’s old books that carry memories, emotion, history and value.
Working for Baptistcare is a means to put bread on the table and a roof over our heads, but greater worth and value is given to that job when we recognise our role as stewards of all the responsibilities in our care.
Can you suggest any ways that we exhibit this sense of stewardship in our workplace?
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Flood relief
Over the last few weeks we have watched on our TV’s the devastation caused by floods in Carnarvon, Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Many of us have taken the opportunity to support various flood relief efforts and we recognise what a privilege it is for us to be able to stand beside those who are suffering, even in a limited way.
Baptistcare’s sister organisation in Queensland, Queensland Baptist Care has set up a flood relief programme. If you would like to contribute towards the recovery effort you are invited take advantage of the on-line giving opportunity at www.qbc.com.au
Baptistcare’s sister organisation in Queensland, Queensland Baptist Care has set up a flood relief programme. If you would like to contribute towards the recovery effort you are invited take advantage of the on-line giving opportunity at www.qbc.com.au
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Martin Luther King Day
January 15 is Martin Luther King’s birthday and the third Monday in January is celebrated as a public holiday in the United States. In Australia we only seem to get its significance because Wall Street is closed.
The civil rights movement in the US was a community movement. It was people working together and supporting each other to achieve freedom and with the inspirational leadership of Martin Luther King, the effects spread across the nation and around the world.
It was also a spiritual movement. King, a Baptist minister put his life on the line for freedom for his people because of his personal faith and conviction, as did so many of those who became involved in this movement.
This is my first blog for 2011 and I think it is valuable for us to spend a moment at the beginning of the year to reflect on Martin Luther King’s leadership. As part of the worldwide Baptist family those of us who are associated with Baptistcare can be proud to be aligned with this inspirational leader.
As we journey with those in our communities who are ageing, those who have a mental illness and those who have disabilities, we recognise the need to speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves and to defend the powerless. Baptistcare’s “communities for life”, are not just havens of peace and safety, but need to be communities of justice and fairness for all. Our vision is to transform and enrich lives, and that takes courage.
During the year I hope that this blog will be an opportunity for people who have links with Baptistcare either as staff members, or as those who receive services, to express their thoughts and to explore what it means for Baptistcare to be an organisation that provides inspirational and courageous leadership in the West Australian community.
The civil rights movement in the US was a community movement. It was people working together and supporting each other to achieve freedom and with the inspirational leadership of Martin Luther King, the effects spread across the nation and around the world.
It was also a spiritual movement. King, a Baptist minister put his life on the line for freedom for his people because of his personal faith and conviction, as did so many of those who became involved in this movement.
This is my first blog for 2011 and I think it is valuable for us to spend a moment at the beginning of the year to reflect on Martin Luther King’s leadership. As part of the worldwide Baptist family those of us who are associated with Baptistcare can be proud to be aligned with this inspirational leader.
As we journey with those in our communities who are ageing, those who have a mental illness and those who have disabilities, we recognise the need to speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves and to defend the powerless. Baptistcare’s “communities for life”, are not just havens of peace and safety, but need to be communities of justice and fairness for all. Our vision is to transform and enrich lives, and that takes courage.
During the year I hope that this blog will be an opportunity for people who have links with Baptistcare either as staff members, or as those who receive services, to express their thoughts and to explore what it means for Baptistcare to be an organisation that provides inspirational and courageous leadership in the West Australian community.
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