Biblical Stewardship of Influence and Affluence
WHAT’S IN YOUR HAND RICK WARREN
Best-Selling Author of the Purpose Driven Life
What’s In Your Hand
Biblical Stewardship of Influence and Affluence
Part III
Part IV
A Personal Welcome from Rick Warren
Dear Friend,
I’m delighted to welcome you to this Life Stewardship journey. What you hold in your hands represents more than just another program or curriculum— it’s an invitation to transform how you view and use every resource God has entrusted to you.
For over four decades, I’ve been convinced that stewardship goes far beyond financial giving. True biblical stewardship encompasses everything we are and everything we have: our truth, time, talent, treasure, testimony, and trust. When we fully grasp that everything belongs to God, it revolutionizes how we live.
This framework emerged from years of prayer, study, and practical ministry experience. I’ve witnessed countless lives transformed when people understand they are stewards, not owners, of God’s resources. Whether you’re just beginning your stewardship journey or seeking to deepen your commitment, these materials will guide you toward a life of greater purpose and impact.
The Funds Framework offers a practical approach to managing resources in alignment with God’s purposes for your life. From your Treasury Fund (worship) to your Global Fund (missions), each component is designed to help you invest strategically in God’s kingdom work.
As you engage with this material, remember that stewardship isn’t about duty—it’s about devotion. It’s not about obligation—it’s about opportunity. God has uniquely shaped you to make a difference in this world, and proper stewardship unlocks your full potential for kingdom impact.
My prayer is that this journey will draw you closer to God, connect you more deeply with others, and clarify your personal mission. May you discover the joy that comes when we hold everything with open hands and willing hearts.
For such a time as this,
Rick Warren
Part I
Identity & Calling
“Then the Lord said to him, ‘What is that in your hand?’ ‘A staff,’ he replied.” (Exodus 4:2, NIV)
Chapter One:
Identity – Finding Your True Self in Christ
The Identity Crisis That Changed History
Moses experienced perhaps the most dramatic identity crisis in biblical history. Born a Hebrew but raised as an Egyptian prince, he lived with a foot in two worlds – privileged in the palace but connected by blood to slaves. When these worlds collided and Moses killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew slave, everything changed. Forced to flee into the wilderness, he exchanged royal robes for shepherd’s garments, palace feasts for desert survival.
For forty years, Moses lived as a shepherd in Midian. The palace education, the royal connections, the dreams of greatness – all seemingly wasted in the wilderness. Have you ever felt like Moses? Perhaps you once had big dreams, but now find yourself in a wilderness season, wondering if your life matters at all.
It was in this wilderness – not in the palace – that Moses encountered God at the burning bush. When God asked, “What is that in your hand?” Moses held just a simple shepherd’s staff. Nothing special, nothing royal, nothing impressive. Just a wooden stick used to guide sheep and fend off predators.
What’s in your hand today? It might seem ordinary. Insignificant. Hardly worth mentioning. But God sees differently.
The Three False IdenTITIes We OFTen embrace
Before Moses could fulfill his purpose, he had to shed false identities that had shaped his self-perception. We face the same challenge today:
1. The Performance Identity: “I am what I accomplish.”
For forty years, Moses had accomplished nothing noteworthy by Egyptian standards. No military victories, no architectural wonders, no political achievements. Just sheep. Day after day of ordinary shepherding.
Many of us live with this false identity. We believe our worth comes from our accomplishments, our productivity, our results. When we achieve, we feel valuable. When we fail, we feel worthless.
Jesus offers a better way. In Matthew 3:17, before Jesus performed a single miracle or preached a single sermon, the Father declared, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Jesus’ identity was secure before His performance began.
“There is a profound difference between being valuable and feeling valued. The first is unchangeable truth; the second is emotional experience. Moses had to learn this difference in the wilderness.”
2. The Possession Identity: “I am what I own.”
Moses had left behind the treasures of Egypt for the simplicity of desert life. He had traded luxury for necessity, wealth for survival. The man who once had access to pharaoh’s treasury now counted sheep as his primary assets.
Today’s culture constantly tells us that our value is tied to what we own – the car we drive, the home we live in, the clothes we wear, the technology we use. Yet Jesus warned, “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). When we define ourselves by what we have, we never have enough.
A recent study showed that most Americans believe they would be content if they just had 20% more income than they currently have – regardless of their current income level. This “moving target” of satisfaction reveals the emptiness of possession-based identity.
3. The People-Pleasing Identity: “I am what others think of me.”
Moses’ initial objection to God’s call reveals this mindset: “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11). He worried about how he would be perceived, how others would judge him.
„But I have never been eloquent... I am slow of speech and tongue“ (Exodus 4:10). Moses‘ self-perception was shaped by what he believed others thought
of him. His fear of public speaking wasn‘t just about lacking skill – it was about fearing judgment.
When we live for the approval of others, we become their prisoners. We shape-shift to please the crowd, losing ourselves in the process. But Galatians 1:10 reminds us, „Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.“
FrOm PrInce TO shePherd TO leader: mOses’ IdenTITy JOurney
Moses’ life divides into three forty-year segments, each representing a different identity:
1. Prince of Egypt (Ages 0-40): Living with a borrowed identity, Moses enjoyed privilege but lacked purpose. His attempt to help his people by killing the Egyptian taskmaster revealed his confusion about who he truly was and how he should use his influence.
2. Shepherd of Midian (Ages 40-80): Living with a broken identity, Moses retreated to anonymity. The wilderness stripped away his Egyptian identity but hadn’t yet revealed his true calling. This was a necessary emptying, preparing him for what was to come.
3. Leader of Israel (Ages 80-120): Living with a bestowed identity, Moses finally discovered who he was created to be – not through self-discovery, but through divine revelation. “I AM WHO I AM has sent you” became the foundation of his new identity.
Moses’ journey teaches us that true identity isn’t found through achievement (prince), nor through insignificance (shepherd), but through relationship with the living God (leader).
dIscOverIng yOur True IdenTITy In chrIsT
Moses had to exchange these false identities for his true identity as God’s chosen instrument. When God said, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14), He was establishing the foundation of Moses’ new identity – not based on performance, possessions, or people’s opinions, but on relationship with the eternal God.
Our true identity likewise flows from our relationship with Christ:
1. You are completely accepted. “To the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:6-7).
Like Moses at the burning bush, you stand on holy ground – not because of your perfection, but because of God’s presence. You don’t have to perform to earn acceptance; in Christ, you are already fully accepted.
What would change in your life if you truly believed you were already fully accepted by God? How would your striving change? Your relationships? Your peace?
2. You are deeply valuable.
“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed... but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19).
Moses’ staff had little market value, but in God’s hands, it became priceless. Your value isn’t determined by your bank account or your possessions; it’s established by the price Jesus paid for you.
In Christ, you have been purchased at infinite cost. No achievement can increase your value; no failure can diminish it. This is the unshakable foundation of your worth.
3. You are eternally significant.
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).
Moses wondered if his life mattered during those long shepherd years. Yet God was preparing him, developing character that couldn’t have been formed in the palace. Your life has purpose, even in the wilderness seasons.
Nothing is wasted in God’s economy. Every experience, every struggle, every season – even the ones that seem purposeless – are being woven into His greater story for your life.
The mOmenT OF surrender: When IdenTITy TransFOrms PurPOse
When God told Moses to throw down his staff, He was asking Moses to release his shepherd identity and embrace a new calling. The staff became a snake – something Moses feared – but God told him to pick it up by the tail. When
he obeyed, it became “the staff of God” – no longer identified as belonging to Moses but to God Himself.
This pivotal moment teaches us three profound truths about identity transformation:
1. Surrender precedes transformation. Moses had to release his grip on his identity symbol before God could transform it.
2. Fear must be faced. The snake represented Moses’ fears, but he had to literally take hold of them to experience God’s power.
3. What you reclaim is no longer yours. When Moses picked up the staff again, it was now “the staff of God” – the same object but with a completely new identity and purpose.
What false identity is God asking you to lay down? What fears must you face to embrace your true calling? What ordinary “staff” in your hand needs to be surrendered to become extraordinary in God’s service?
The mOmenT OF surrender: When IdenTITy TransFOrms PurPOse
1. Identify your identity thieves.
Take inventory of where you’re seeking validation outside of Christ. Career advancement? Financial success? Social media approval? Family expectations? Write down what you’d need to accomplish to feel “enough.”
Reflection Exercise: Complete this sentence: “I will feel truly valuable when I finally _____________.” Your answer reveals where you’re placing your identity.
2. Replace lies with truth.
For each identity thief, find a Scripture that declares who you are in Christ. Write it down, memorize it, and speak it aloud daily. The power of God’s truth will uproot deeply embedded lies.
Identity Declaration Exercise: Create personalized “I am” statements based on Scripture:
• “I am completely accepted in Christ” (Ephesians 1:6)
• “I am deeply valuable, purchased at great price” (1 Peter 1:18-19)
• “I am eternally significant, created for good works” (Ephesians 2:10) hat false identity is God asking you to lay down?
3. Act from your true identity.
Moses had to return to Egypt, not as a failed prince or a humble shepherd, but as God’s ambassador. His actions flowed from his new identity. Similarly, begin making decisions based not on what others expect, but on who God says you are.
Application Challenge: Identify one area where fear of failure or rejection is holding you back. Take one small step this week, acting from your identity in Christ rather than your fear.
Remember: your identity determines your destiny. Moses couldn’t fulfill his God-given purpose until he embraced his God-given identity. The same is true for you.
The
POWer OF surrendered IdenTITy
The burning bush wasn’t just about Moses seeing God; it was about Moses seeing himself through God’s eyes. When he finally embraced his true identity as God’s chosen instrument, everything changed – not just for Moses, but for an entire nation.
His story reminds us that identity isn’t just personal – it’s pivotal. When we discover who we truly are in Christ, we unlock the power to become who we’re created to be.
What’s in your hand? It might seem ordinary now, but surrendered to God, it can become extraordinary. Lay down your false identities. Pick up your true identity in Christ. And watch what God will do through you.
“The most important question isn’t ‘What am I doing with my life?’ but ‘Who am I becoming in Christ?’ When identity is secure, purpose naturally follows.”
Pastor Rick Warren’s Finishing the Task initiative aims to fulfill the Great Commission by 2033, mobilizing believers worldwide to share the gospel through scripture, church planting, testimonies, and prayer. What’s In Your Hand aligns with this mission, calling individuals to steward their identity, influence, and resources for God’s purpose—turning ordinary gifts into extraordinary impact for the kingdom.
