In this article, we are going to talk about stewardship. It’s a common word that’s thrown around a lot in church. But what does it mean, and how does it apply to our financial situation? Let’s explore.
Who Actually Owns Everything
Before we talk about stewardship, we need to talk about ownership. Who really “owns” everything? The world governments are having a lot of debate and discussion on this topic right now, but they aren’t even close to getting it right. Big surprise!
In Genesis chapter 1 we get a clear picture from the moment of creation.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. ~Genesis 1:1 NASB~
That verse is the defining moment of all existence. Nothing. No land, sea, animals, plants, humans, houses or apartments, cars, boats, luxury condos, money and no “stuff” would exist without God Almighty. Every resource that goes into making those things is because He placed it there. Ultimately, it all belongs to Him.
Well duh, Chad, we know that.
But the problem is, we might acknowledge that at face value, but it doesn’t change our heart, and it doesn’t challenge the way we view and handle our finances. At the end of the day, we still only see it as “ours”.
When we surrender to Jesus Christ, everything we have, and everything we are belongs to Him. We are handing over the keys to our lives and letting Him drive. That includes our time, our talent, and our treasure (finances) as well.
What Is A Steward?
So, how do we change our mindset? We change it by understanding stewardship.
Dictionary.com defines a steward as: “a person who manages another’s property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others.”
We are simply managers, not owners. God owns everything, we are simply here to manage what He gives us. And we need to do our best to manage it well.
We see a great example of this in the book of Genesis. After God had created everything, He planted the Garden of Eden, and He placed Adam there and told him to take care of it. (Genesis 2:15)
Adam didn’t own the garden. He didn’t even plant it. But he lived there, took care of it and managed it as God had commanded him.
God Gives Us The Power To Make Wealth
Did you know that the Bible actually says that God gives us the power to make wealth? How cool is that? But it comes with a warning.
But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. ~Deuteronomy 8:18 NASB~
We cannot forget Him. Yet so many of us do in our day-to-day lives. We get so wrapped up in trying to “get ahead” that we completely ignore God and even push Him aside. Then, when we do accomplish a little of success and prosperity, (or rather, He blesses us) we think it’s all because of us. We think it was our hard work and sacrifice that got us there. We ignore the One who gave us the power to make it anyway.
Ultimately, it is God who gives us our jobs and income. He gives us our passions, talents, skills, and abilities to make an income with. They all come from Him. We must take those gifts, cultivate them, bless others with them, and yes, provide for our families with them (make money), as well. But we must not forget Him in the process.
And above all, we must not love wealth or serve money above Him. (Matthew 6:24)
The More We Are Entrusted With, More Is Required
Remember the parable of the talents? If not, I encourage you to read about it in Matthew 25:14-30. The basic recap is this: The master had 3 servants, and he entrusted them with a different number of talents, each according to his ability. To one, he gave 5, to another 2, and one servant he only gave one talent.
Then the master returns to collect. The servant who was given 5 was faithful and doubled his, as did the one who was given 2. They were blessed and called faithful and were given even more to manage. Yet the one who was given only a single talent gave an excuse and buried it. He did nothing with it. He was rebuked, and called both “wicked and lazy”. And his talent was given to the one who had 10 talents.
The passage ends with these verses:
“For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” ~Matthew 25:29-30 NASB~
God gives us each according to our ability. Laziness is unacceptable. We need to invest our time, talents and treasure wisely and faithfully. The more we are entrusted with, the more we are expected to do with it.
“From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.” ~Luke 12:48b NASB~
Final Thoughts And Prayer
At the end of the day, we need to manage our finances well and in a God-honoring way. It is a direct reflection on how we will handle kingdom things.
“And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?” ~Luke 16:11 NLT~
Imagine being a business owner, and the managers you hire are constantly mishandling the money and day-to-day operations of the business. They are wasteful and lazy with it. Would you give them more responsibility? Would you even want to keep them on? Most of us would want to let someone else, who has proven themselves to handle things.
Let’s make sure we are giving it our best. When we are looking at our jobs, our budgets, our spending habits, our investments, and even our possessions, let’s manage it with excellence. And always remember to give Him thanks for all He has given us to manage.
Father in heaven, we come to you and ask for Your forgiveness in how we’ve viewed finances and possessions. All of it, ultimately, belongs to You. You do, however, want us to enjoy these blessings and manage them. Help us, Lord, to manage our households well and to bless others along the way. Guide us, Lord, with how we handle our day to day spending and to identify our “needs” versus just our wants. Let us not be like the wicked and lazy servant that Jesus tells us about in His parable of the talents. Thank You, for entrusting us with Your blessings. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Now that we know the difference between ownership and stewardship, in what ways can we manage our household finances better? Let me know in the comments down below.
