Start a new year with plans to be a good steward

A new year is a great time to evaluate how we are doing as good Christian stewards. Many people make New Year’s Resolutions. Most New Year’s resolutions include diet, exercise, budgeting or reduced screen time because we see each of these as ways to better ourselves. While each of these things are good, there is no better way to better ourselves than to devote the time, talent and treasures our God so generously gave us to love and worship Him to accomplish His will in our lives. 
Living healthy, budgeting and spending less time on our phone are actually great ways to help us be good stewards. Our time is precious and less time in front of a screen gives us more time to spend in prayer. We need our health to use our gifts and talents to serve the Lord. Sticking to a budget helps us be a good steward of our treasure. 
Coming up with a plan to following through on a new year’s promise is the difficult part. Here are a few tips to help accomplish resolutions that can help us be good Christian stewards. 
1. We make appointments for just about everything, why not make a daily appointment with God? We know our availability and God’s schedule is wide open for us. The only way to have a deeper relationship with Christ is to make the time to spend with Him in prayer. 
2. There are ministries in your parish that need volunteers. Check out the ministries in your parish and see where you can put your talents to work to help others in your parish or community. Ask your pastor what parish ministries need help.
3. If your bills are increasing, so are the expenses of your parish. Evaluate your donation amount and adjust your contributions to match the bonus you just earned.
In this Sunday’s second reading from St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians we are reminded that God created each of us with unique gifts and talents. “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. … But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as he wishes.” 1Corinthians 12:4-11
God gave each of us different gifts so when we use them to their fullest together we can fulfill his plan for our life. When we achieve a New Year’s resolution is to be a good steward, we will be blessed with a deeper relationship with God.
­­— Shannon Roh is the Executive Director of the Office of Development and Stewardship for the Archdiocese of Mobile.