Excerpt from Divided Desire: Chapter 8 - The Streaming Connection

The stewardship of almost all materials, substances, or things in life is directly dependent on our stewardship of money, because money is the means we use to get anything we may use or abuse. Without money we can buy nothing.

In Chapter 5, under the Mirage of Drinks and Drugs I quoted from an informative article that listed four reasons why people may want to indulge in drinking. It also made the observation that…

“…a media-induced perception of acceptance around drinking allows people to drink more, thus increasing the bottom-line of Anheuser Busch.” [1]

In the American context, the bottom-line of a brewing company such as Anheuser Busch is certainly increased by billions of dollars, as millions of Americans spend their hard earned money on liquor. Of course, the same is true in all countries. What is to be noted, however, is that as the revenue of liquor companies increases, the individual who has just been influenced by the media to spend his money on a particular drink from a particular brand has lesser money at the end of the day, whether what he spent was a significant or insignificant amount. That’s a fact that can’t be denied. And, if people are addicted to spending their money to satisfy their thirst for liquor, over time they are reduced to poverty because they were bad stewards of the money they had. This is the way the Bible puts it.

“Those who love pleasure become poor; those who love wine and luxury will never be rich.”

“My child, listen and be wise: Keep your heart on the right course. Do not carouse with drunkards or feast with gluttons, for they are on their way to poverty, and too much sleep clothes them in rags.” Proverbs 21:17, 23:19-21, NLT

Instead of spending money on that which can never satisfy, till finally one is brought to rags, there is another way. Drinking from the Stream of Stewardship is something that can happen only with the God connection. Only people who are living in godliness, and have received money and material – including liquor – from God will be grateful for what they have received having depended upon God to provide, and when they are grateful they are naturally led to be careful in how and to what end they use their money and resources. If you don’t have the God connection yet, gratefulness and stewardship probably don’t matter to you, because you view everything you own as a result of your own hard work. “Therefore,” the reasoning goes, “I can spend my time and money on whatever I want, and treat myself however I want.” It is precisely this bend of mind that leads people not only to be bad stewards of money and substance, but also of their own bodies. A person who is addicted to alcohol or drugs is constantly abusing his or her own body by intentionally spending all they have on satisfying their appetites, without any concern for what it is doing to their body, because not only is money and substance theirs, but so is their body. If we drink from the Stream of Stewardship however, we will understand that there is an inextricable link between abstaining from excessive drinking, indulging in drinking the Living Water (the Holy Spirit), and being grateful by giving thanks. Here it is, not my invention, but from the Bible, the book which speaks to global villagers, giving us truth and advice that cannot be gotten anywhere else.

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit… …always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father.” Ephesians 5:18, 20

If we drink from the Stream of Stewardship that comes with the God connection, there is sure to be satisfaction. We are careful in how we use our time, money, and resources; careful how we treat our bodies; we long for the Living Water; and are grateful to God who gives us all of these.

Copyright © 2013, Kenny Damara. This article is an excerpt from the book Divided Desire.

[1] http://www.originsrecovery.com/reasons-why-people-drink-alcohol/