Stewardship: the responsible overseeing and protection of something considered worth caring for and preserving.
“Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.”
Titus 1:7-9
All Christians are stewards. Being a steward, or guard, requires much responsibility – especially when the person you are supervising for is God. What exactly are we to be responsible for? Money? Ourselves? Others?
Answer: All of the above.
· Money
Jesus spoke about money more than almost any other subject. He knew that money both hurts and helps us. Actually, money can be quite a good thing, if generously given and not consumed greedily. In order to handle money accountably, one should follow these three S’s:1. Spend wisely.
2. Save much.
3. Share cautiously, yet abundantly.
The first two S’s are pretty self-explanatory, so I am just going to expand on the third one. If you have ever ridden or driven past many street corners, you have probably noticed people standing there with signs asking for help, whether it be money, food, or gas. Many passers-by have trouble discerning if they are really in need of resources besides drugs or alcohol. My parents and I only give them money if we feel like the Lord is leading us to do so. Usually we only hand out granola bars, to be on the safe side. When you do feel like God is leading you to supply for a need, don’t hesitate! Being careful of whom you give money to doesn’t mean you are not a generous person, it just means that you are a good steward of the money God has given you!
“And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings. He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?”
Luke 16:9-11
“Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce.”
Proverbs 3:9
“A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”
Proverbs 11:25
Do with your money what you feel God wants you to do with it. Honoring God with our wealth not only means giving to Him, but also giving to others. And not just sharing our money – giving of ourselves, as well. Next month, I will reveal how to sacrificially give of our time and resources. Brace yourself for Part 2!
Did you know that Heather was content knowing that stars were just dazzling dots in the sky, until her science teacher ruined it for her?!
Did you know that Cassie loves taking pictures of random things?!
Photographs property of Lilies Among Thorns Magazine. Photograph taken by Cassie Oscar.
