"Stewardship" is a good word from the Bible that refers to how we take care of something that God has placed in our trust. Trust is critical to stewardship, and how we respond to that trust is a significant element in what adds up to a meaningful life.
Victor Frankl was a psychiatrist who spent most of World War Two in one of Hitler's death camps. He lost his entire family. The book he wrote about his experiences there, "Man's Search for Meaning," details how he was able to find meaning - even in the worst possible conditions - because he realized that he still had the freedom to choose how he responded, no matter what happened. God had given him a sense of inner liberty, and grasping that understanding made him free.
What kind of stewards are we regarding our families? Sometimes, when we have so many obvious blessings, it is easy to lose sight of what Victor Frankl saw so clearly.
We should all ask ourselves this important question: "What does God want me to do with the incredible gift he gave me when he entrusted this family to my care?" Does he want us to put them after money, alcohol, sports, work, "friends," or our personal pleasures? Or did God have something else in mind when he gave us this responsibility?
Understanding our personal freedom to choose how we respond to our circumstances is only part of the equation regarding our search for meaning. The second part involves aligning our response to the principles of stewardship that God set in motion when he created life. Here's the principle: Value these gifts, do not neglect them - and God's blessings will be evident.
Families are maybe our clearest opportunity to demonstrate faithful stewardship. How we respond to that challenge is probably our clearest opportunity to show God what we think of his trust.
