My work in the finance office in regards to the setup and handling of transactions in the accounting system is coming to a close. Now starts a whole new chapter - Reporting. Without reporting, all the entering of transactions is basically busy work. Where my definition of busy is "being under Satan's yoke". So after entering things into the system, it is now time to progress through getting meaningful reports out of the system that aid everyone in understanding the resources God has provided us and how they are being stewarded and how we might steward them even better to God's glory.
Don't get me wrong, I have been creating reports throughout this whole time of training. But now, I am moving into teaching the Guatemalan finance office staff how to produce, analyze and create recommendations based on the data in the accounting system. Producing reports is easy, but producing useful reports is not as easy as one might think. A simple thing like changing the dates before running a report can produce useless reports.
Analysis of reports is often seen as a secular activity by many Christians. But when we seek to steward God's resources, we need to analyze the resources we have, how we used or stewarded those resources and how that might impact our decisions to steward God's resources in the future.
And finally, creating recommendations based on financial data can often be void of God if we as humans believe that we are in control. So often I find myself referencing scripture that points out that God is the owner and provider of resources to steward; God is who we are ultimately accountable to for our stewardship; and that the scripture guides us to seek counsel from others. All of these scriptures exhort us to create recommendations that seek to honor God's ownership and provision, and not to hold in too high esteem any one person's human thinking - even our own.
I ask that you pray for me and the finance team in Guatemala. Pray that we seek and find God in each and every step of the work that we do. Pray that those who are engaged in other areas of the ministry find the reports and recommendations God honoring and helpful for their day to day ministry decisions. And most of all, pray God's supernatural guidance and counsel through His Holy Spirit as we steward God's resources to His glory.
Don't get me wrong, I have been creating reports throughout this whole time of training. But now, I am moving into teaching the Guatemalan finance office staff how to produce, analyze and create recommendations based on the data in the accounting system. Producing reports is easy, but producing useful reports is not as easy as one might think. A simple thing like changing the dates before running a report can produce useless reports.
Analysis of reports is often seen as a secular activity by many Christians. But when we seek to steward God's resources, we need to analyze the resources we have, how we used or stewarded those resources and how that might impact our decisions to steward God's resources in the future.
And finally, creating recommendations based on financial data can often be void of God if we as humans believe that we are in control. So often I find myself referencing scripture that points out that God is the owner and provider of resources to steward; God is who we are ultimately accountable to for our stewardship; and that the scripture guides us to seek counsel from others. All of these scriptures exhort us to create recommendations that seek to honor God's ownership and provision, and not to hold in too high esteem any one person's human thinking - even our own.
I ask that you pray for me and the finance team in Guatemala. Pray that we seek and find God in each and every step of the work that we do. Pray that those who are engaged in other areas of the ministry find the reports and recommendations God honoring and helpful for their day to day ministry decisions. And most of all, pray God's supernatural guidance and counsel through His Holy Spirit as we steward God's resources to His glory.
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