stewardship: demonstrating faithfulness to god
Stewardship demonstrates your faithfulness to God and it glorifies Him as He sustains you in every situation for provision in life. Whether it be with your money, time, possessions, or talents, our Lord expects you to account to Him all that He has given you.
Perhaps, as you go through your same routines every day, it may not cross your mind to give back to God in these ways, but it is important to consider how we are to always live with a constant attitude of gratefulness, and to be aware of how we are using our lives for His purposes, and not our own.
For many years, this had become a battle for me too, in that I always knew of my own personal skills, talents, interests, and desires, in which I had a plan to use each one of them in various ways I deemed fit to apply them. However, as I have matured in my spiritual life, God had shown me that He is boss of my life, and I am not!
The Bible says in Isaiah 55:9, "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." This verse seems to always brings me back down to earth when I get to be "too big for my britches", or whenever I am thinking or planning on doing something I want to do without asking God about it first. His plan will always supercede anything I could ever want or think to do on my own.
stewardship with your money
Jesus spoke about money and finances throughout much of the New Testament. As a matter of fact, He spoke on this subject more than other topics and issues of the day. He knew that people had questions and concerns about money, treasures, and their possessions, and that it was a topic He had to deal with and bring to light among believers.
You may feel that showing stewardship of your money and finances are just about tithing to your church on Sundays, or giving gifts and/or offerings to others who are in need. Yes, those things are essential to do as well; however, more importantly, are your attitude and feelings about money and what your heart says about it.
As you think about all that you have, monetarily-speaking, how do you place it in your life? What position in your heart does money hold for you? Of course, it is important to go out and work to provide for your family, and to be able to do the necessary things that having and using money can accomplish; however, do you put too much emphasis on it? Do you think about it all the time? Do you just want to obtain it, keep it, or gain more and more of it for whatever reasons you feel might suite you? If so, then there is possible danger here. God's Word gives clear reasons and instructions into stewardship. Here are a few to consider:
- 1 Timothy 6:10 tells us, "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves with many sorrows."
- Matthew 6:19-21 says, "Lay not up for yourselves treasure upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
- Luke 12:15 says, "And He said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth."
- 1 Timothy 6:9 says, "But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition." And lastly,
- Matthew 16:26 says, "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"
stewardship with your possessions and talents
Materialism is everywhere and so rampant in our society that it seems we give much attention to those things we have--our possessions.
We work hard for the things we buy such as our homes, cars, vacations, schooling, and so on. It's so easy to overlook the fact that we keep adding more and more things to our everyday lives, that we can get lost in our possessions. Also, we place a lot of emphasis on perfecting our talents and skills in order to go out and gain the employment that will help to finance and justify getting more possessions!
God has provided you with so much in life. These verses remind us of His abundant nature towards those he loves and cares for. 1 Timothy 6:17 says to "Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy..." And, in Romans 8:32 it says, "He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"
Stewardship with your possessions, talents, and skills requires your faithfulness in sharing these things with others as well. Since the Lord has given to you freely all things to enjoy, it would give Him pure joy to see how you demonstrate thankfulness to Him, along with His love to others by giving them part of what the Lord has given to you.
stewardship with your time
Perhaps you are asking yourself, "what does my time have to do with this topic?" This may be one of the most important ways to give and share with others when it comes to stewardship. You see, your time is more valuable than you may think. It's a whole new level of time management for the believer.
In Ephesians 5:16, we are "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil." This is a direct charge for the Christian to examine how he/she uses the time God has given, and to use it wisely for His purposes and in building up His kingdom.
You may want to look further into how you are using your time as stewardship for the Lord. This should not be ignored because, according to God's Word and His truths, we will be responsible for those things that are freely given to us, including the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of the gospel. Consider these verses along this line of thought:
- 2 Corinthians 5:10 says, "For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."
- Luke 12:42-46 says, "And the Lord said, 'Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. But and if that servant say in his heart, 'My lord delayeth his coming'; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint his portion with the unbelievers."
- Psalm 39:4-5 says, "Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: that I may know how frail I am. Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreath; and mine age is nothing before thee: verily, every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah."
- John 9:4 says, "I must work the works of Him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work." And lastly,
- James 4:13-17 says, "Go to now, ye that say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain': Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, 'If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: All such rejoicing is evil. Therefore, to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin."
In conclusion, you find here the importance of being faithful to God through your stewardship on every level of life as a believer in Christ. This requirement of service proves your dependence on God for His love, protection, and provision. Since He gave you everything to enjoy in this world, wouldn't it make sense then, to give back to Him by sharing with those who may need some of your money, possessions, talents, and time?
Allow God to work in and through you in faithful stewardship with all that He has given and provided you with. As you remain obedient to Him, you will see how His blessings, both physical and spiritual, will flow more abundantly into your life right here on earth, and even more so, when you get to heaven.
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Consumerism Can Hurt Your Pocketbook
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Frugality: A Wise, Economic Solution For Your Home And Family Life
Thanksgiving: A Time Of Reflection And Gratitude
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