Week 4: Sacred Ties
How I’m Learning to Steward My Relationships with God, Self, and Others
When people hear the word stewardship, they usually think of money, time, or talents. And those matter. But lately, I’ve been thinking about a kind of stewardship that doesn’t live in a budget or calendar—it lives in the heart.
I’m talking about relationships.
With God.
With myself.
With the people around me.
These sacred ties are some of the most valuable gifts God has trusted me with. And if I’m being honest, they’ve also been the ones I’ve had to grow into stewarding well.
Marriage has been one of the biggest classrooms for this. It’s where I’ve learned that love isn’t just a feeling—it’s a choice. That presence matters more than perfection. And that tending to a relationship is active work, not autopilot.
Here’s what I’m learning along the way:
1. My Relationship with God: Making Room, Not Just Noise
I used to give God the leftovers of my day. Whatever time I had after the toddler was down, the dishes were done, or the to-do list was finished. And some days, that meant He got nothing at all.
But God doesn’t want just the edges—He wants the center.
Like in marriage, if you don’t carve out intentional time, the relationship starts to feel distant. I’ve learned that stewarding my relationship with God means prioritizing presence. It means listening, even when I don’t have the words. Showing up, even when I’m tired.
It’s not about performance—it’s about staying connected.
Because when I remain close to Him, I remember I’m not holding everything together. He is.
2. My Relationship with Myself: Giving Myself Permission
Whew. This one.
As a wife, a mom, a friend, a helper—it felt selfish to think about me. But God keeps reminding me: you are one of the people I’ve entrusted to your care.
That means rest isn’t laziness. Boundaries aren’t mean. Speaking kindly to myself isn’t pride—it’s stewardship.
I’ve had to unlearn the idea that I have to earn my worth. That I have to hustle to be loved. And marriage has helped with that too—because when someone sees you on your worst days and still chooses you, it’s a glimpse of how God sees us.
So now, I try to care for myself as someone deeply loved by God—not just someone others depend on.
3. My Relationships with Others: Choosing Grace Over Grudges
Relationships stretch you. They expose your triggers, your impatience, your capacity for forgiveness. And nothing has tested and refined me quite like marriage and motherhood.
What I’ve learned is that I don’t have to fix everyone. I don’t have to be everything.
But I do have to show up.
With humility.
With love.
With grace.
Sometimes that looks like saying sorry first.
Sometimes it’s letting things go.
Sometimes it’s just being fully present, even when I’m tired or overwhelmed.
God didn’t call us to perfect relationships—He called us to faithful ones.
And stewarding those means I keep choosing love, even when it’s inconvenient or uncomfortable.
A Gentle Check-In
So here’s what I’m sitting with this week:
Am I really nurturing my relationship with God—or just maintaining it?
Am I honoring myself as someone God created with care?
Am I showing up in love—or letting busyness and burnout lead?
If that stirs something in you too, I want to invite you into one small step:
Wake up 10 minutes early to be still with God.
Send that text you’ve been putting off.
Speak kindly to yourself—just for today.
Ask God:
“What relationship needs my care right now?”
Because stewardship isn’t just about managing things well—it’s about loving well.
And there’s no greater place to practice love than in the ties that tether us to God, to ourselves, and to each other.
A Simple Prayer
God, help me slow down and pay attention to what You’ve entrusted to me.
Remind me to prioritize our time together, to treat myself with the love You have for me,
and to show up in my relationships with humility, honesty, and care.
Give me the courage to repair what’s strained, rest when I need it, and root everything in love.
Amen.