Biblical Stewardship
It’s a new year and with that gives us a sense of new beginnings and fresh starts. We glance over the past year in reflection and we often ask ourselves, “is there anywhere I’d like to see change in my life?” For the Christian, we may pray and ask the Lord where He wants our focus, as we embark on our continued journey for the new year. In a world filled with challenge and uncertainty, finding a sense of hope and personal responsibility can be transformative to our experience of every day life.
A few years back, a dear friend of mine from church, shared one of her family traditions for the new year. As they approach the end of one year and think about the next, they ask the Lord to reveal both a word and coordinating scripture for an overarching theme to focus on in the new year. It’s usually a subject that the Lord wants to turn their personal attention to, and grow them in their knowledge and wisdom in that particular area. I thought it was an amazing concept and my husband and I were excited to also make it part of our new year tradition as well.
This year, God gave us the word ‘Stewardship’ with the supporting verse from Colossians 3:23 that reads, “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” (NLT)
I have to admit, I wasn’t overly excited about this word initially. My mind immediately went to financial stewardship and then my thoughts started to squirm and run to find an escape, until I quickly felt prompted to search up what stewardship actually meant. I was so astounded to find out that it had to do with much more than just taking care of nature or finances! It really is all encompassing when you dive into the meat of it. I have learned so much already and you know me, I just had to share! So here we are.
| Did you know that God has called us to be His stewards? |
Let us first define in simple terms what Biblical Stewardship actually means:
First, it is recognizing that EVERYTHING belongs to God. Second, it is knowing that we have all been entrusted with the responsibility of managing God’s resources wisely and faithfully.
This might make your brain tilt just a little bit. That’s ok! It’s mean to. Maybe some of you have never thought about this before. We may think, well yeah…the trees, the ocean, the sun and the ground I walk on outside, those are all God’s because we didn’t create nature, but is there more? What do you mean by everything? I mean—everything! Not only does God lay claim to everything in nature, but consider that there is nothing that human beings have made, that they didn’t somehow in one way or another get from the earth itself anyway. Technically speaking, even our own lives themselves belong to God. We are all His creation! It really doesn't end. God owns everything. Boom. Mic drop. The keyboard I am typing on, His. The sticker on my laptop that says “drink water,” because yes, I forget to drink enough water in a day, His. Haha. Let’s take it further…Our time, our talents, our treasures, our children, our relationships, our technology, our bodies, our influence, our stuff and then some, you guessed it, His. Everything! It really takes a mental shift to grasp what is being laid out here and can require a deep change in perspective.
Go ahead, take a moment to sit and dwell in this realization. The God who created the earth, all of nature and even you, owns it all. And, we are expected to be the responsible managers of the “owners” property.
“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for He founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.” Psalm 24:1-2 (NIV)
Wow! I don’t know about you, but this blows my mind! I get both scared and excited about spiritual growth opportunities like this. Anyone else? This is huge! Hence, the reason God gave us this word.
We are all a work in progress and there’s no sense in getting down on ourselves for not always getting it right or missing the mark once and a while. God is so capable of getting us back on track. His word says, “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.” (Psalms 37:23-24 NLT) God is so good y’all! The more I read His word, the less daunting it seems to spend the year learning how to better be God’s steward of all that He’s blessed me with. His grace will always empower and equip us to do His will.
So funny thing…One day, I was looking up scriptures about stewardship and praying and pondering what this might look like for me personally and where does God want me to start first? Guess what He said? (“said” meaning, I heard this in my spirit and it was different from my own thoughts.) God impressed on my heart that I should not buy ANY new clothing items for the entire year of 2024! I was like, say what now? Come again Jesus? I think we have some bad reception. Nope!— I heard right. No purchasing clothes at all for the whole year. Eeek! This is already tough. It is only a few weeks in at the time of my writing this and I’m already feeling the itch. I go to Costco to buy “food” for the family and more times than not, I am tossing in a cute top or some comfy pants. Yes, I buy most of my clothes from Costco. I’m 45, that’s what we do in our 40’s. Haha! But seriously, I heard God and I want to be a better steward of the resources that He’s blessed me with, so I will abstain for more of the glory of God in my life. I am telling you this, yes you who are reading this (hopefully more than just my mom), so that I will be held accountable. It’s much easier to slip up if no one knows about it. Well, God knows, but it helps to at least let one other person close to you know what’s up. That way they can pray for you and encourage you as well.
So now, I kid you not, in the first week after I committed to the Lord that I would fast of clothing purchases for the entire year, I got holes in 3 of my favorite sweaters! In one week! 3 different sweaters! Good grief. At this present time, they are still sitting in a pile in my closet, because I don’t know how to sew. I mean, not in any way that would render my sweaters wearable by any means. I need to find some YouTube videos or books on Sewing for Dummies, or if anyone knows someone who is handy with a needle and thread, let me know.
Please be warned, if you decide you are going to commit your ways to the Lord and take a stand against your flesh in any way, you WILL be tested by the enemy. He will try to come against you and make you fail, but if you know it is a test of your faith, then it helps you to be privy to his tricks. Then it can even light a little fire underneath, to help fortify your commitment even more.
So what are some practical ways that we can implement good stewardship on God’s behalf?
Implementing biblical stewardship goes hand in hand with our walk as believers. We cannot do this without the work of the Holy Spirit. So even if we can give you a list, it is NOT a to do list. Don’t look at this as something that you need to check off in your own strength. Remember also, that we do everything as unto the Lord and not for humans. God may have you work on one of these areas one at a time or for a longer duration of time than you might expect. There is no one size fits all when it comes to our faith journey. Let these things be a light, but make sure to let the Holy Spirit bring the revelation and the empowerment to do all these things through Christ who gives you strength (see Philippians 4:13). This is not an all encompassing list either. Remember, it is EVERYTHING that belongs to God. We’re just calling attention to a few common areas of stewardship.
Financial: Having a budget, avoiding unnecessary debt, and practicing generosity are some ways to be good stewards of your finances. Consider also if you will give tithes and offerings to the church and to further the gospel and meet needs. God is not after our money, but He is after our hearts. The bible says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” (Matthew 6:21 NIV). I promise you, that if my husband and I did not tithe or give offerings, we would not have our needs met and be able to give to those in need around us like we do. We are blessed and God’s word is true. In Malachi 3:10, is a promise of God, that He even says we are allowed to test Him in. It reads, “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. (ESV) The tithe has been established as the first tenth of our income and are supposed to go to our home church. Offerings are different, in that they are above and beyond the tithe. Now, let me just say, that this is not a requirement to get into heaven, nor should it be a requirement to attend a church. However, you should consider how God wants you to appropriate your finances according to His will for you as His steward.
The Earth: Caring for this little blue planet that we all call home, is part of God’s plan. Genesis 2:15 reads, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” (NIV)
“When we see the world as a gift from God, we will do our best to take care of it and use it wisely, instead of poisoning or destroying it.”
Practically speaking, this could play out in a myriad of ways. For certain, it begins with the land your home is on. It is your little space on the planet that has been entrusted to you, so you need to do what you can to manage it with care. If you own animals, they too will need your care. Proverbs 12:10 says, “The righteous care for the needs of their animals.”
Beyond that, maybe your family volunteers to clean up your neighborhood or local park of trash. Being mindful that we are God’s managers of the earth is where it starts and let the Lord guide you in the rest.
3. Time Management: We’ve all been given the same 24 hours in a day. If you find yourself exclaiming, “I wish I had more time,” you’re not alone. Many people are waaay too busy these days. We live in a drive-thru, I want it-when I want it-and I want it-now-society. You may need to pray about cutting some things from your hectic schedule. Patience really is a virtue, and sadly a scarcity in our modern technological era. Many people have fallen prey to the lie that they need to be constantly busy to feel a sense of accomplishment. Plus, distractions are everywhere! The biggest, being the one that people on average pick up and check 144 times a day, and spend more than 4 hours and 25 minutes a day being on! Their cell phone. If you don’t believe me, go check your Screen Time totals for the day or week. You may be surprised or slightly convicted like I was. And on average about half of those hours are spent on social media they say. Yikes! This is another kicker for me. I am definitely guilty of being on my cell phone too much. I often think, what was my life like before the smart phone? I was 20 years old when the first cell phones came out. Wow, I’m really aging myself now. Does it really add that much more quality to my life though? These things are supposed to be a tool to help us, and they are, until they're not. Maybe try fasting your tech from time to time just to put things into check. We have 5 kids and we have always waited as long as we can to get them a cell phone. Our 12 and 14 year old currently do not have cell phones and I know they are in the minority. That’s ok. When they have a job, then it would make more sense. They have to be old enough to learn to use it to their advantage and not have it come to own them.
We are all called to make the most of our time and manage it according to God’s will for us. Ephesians 5:15-17 says, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” Something I always tell my kids is that, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” This is applicable in so many areas of life. In school, in your career, household chores, relationships, etc… Time just somehow falls through the cracks if you don’t manage it well.
I always like to put God first at the beginning of my day. I wake up and begin thanking Him for the day. I pray over my family and I dedicate the day to Him and ask Him to use me and help me manage the time well. I do this before I reach for my phone or get out of bed. Then, because most mornings I can do this, I spend some time in my bible and devotional. It may look different for everyone, but I know that when I put God first in my day, everything seems to work out better. Time seems to go farther and I am better off for sure. So, if you haven’t tried that, you might and see how it goes.
4. Health and Well-being: We have one body that we are given to live this life on earth in and we should be mindful to give care and attention to keeping ourselves healthy. Fortunately, God has blessed us with an immune system, nourishing food that grows from the earth, wisdom gained over the years of good practices that we can put into place, medicine and doctors, and many good things that we can implement to help us in our physical bodies. However, if we just learn of them and don’t actually do anything with that knowledge, it’s not going to profit us much. We all have some basic survival instincts, but it takes more than just surviving to thrive. In Romans 12:1-2 it talks about offering our bodies as living sacrifices. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 it reads in the ESV, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” We need to consider what we eat and drink and what we put into our bodies. We need to consider the kinds and amounts of physical exercise that we engage in. We need to consider our mental health as well. Many people want God to do a miracle and heal their body, and I do believe God does still perform healing miracles today, but consider that if you are not taking good care of your health, God is not going to trump your poor decisions. Smoking can cause cancer, eating too much sugar and being overweight can lead to diabetes, and watching pornography will damage parts of your brain, not to mention the relational damage as well. These things we know and are facts that can help us on our path to wellness and being good stewards of our bodies and minds that God has gifted us with. Then in heaven, we can look forward to glorified new bodies that won’t decay. If you have gone down a spiral that you can’t seem to get out of…seek the help of your community and people that have had victory over strongholds of the mind and body. Make a plan and ask God to help you overcome and lead you to a place of better health. Sometimes it’s going to be baby steps at first. That’s ok. Just keep going forward.
5. Relationships: God calls us into community with one another. We need to nurture and care for the relationships in our lives. People need people. This is the way that God set things up. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are in perfect union with one another and we are made in God’s image. We are to live in communion with Him and also with other believers in the faith. Philippians 2:4 says, “not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others” and the next verse goes on to say, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus…” We steward our relationships by learning how Jesus interacted with others during His ministry and let Him be our example. He was humble, loyal, honest, serving, encouraging, loving, and built them up with the Word of God. Study God’s word in this for more wisdom.
The marriage relationship is symbolic of the relationship between Christ and the Church. The bible calls it a mystery, but there is still much that has been revealed about this relationship in scripture. The feelings we may have in the natural at times will seem counter to the things God calls us to uphold. God says wives are to honor and respect their husbands. The world says, men are clueless and on a power trip that needs to be supressed. God says, husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. (Read Ephesians 5:21-33) The world says having a workplace wife and watching porn on the side is ok, as long as you’re not hurting anyone or that no one finds out. Marriage was designed and instituted by God Himself. The world has poisoned it’s true nature and lied to us about gender and our different rolls as men and women and as husband and wife. We have to take back what God has intended for this sacred relationship and honor Him with our marriages that were designed to help us become more holy in our walk with Him.
6. Our Influence: You might be thinking, well, I don’t influence anyone. You don’t have to be Taylor Swift, Elon Musk, or a professional YouTuber to be a person of influence. Unless you are off grid living in some remote part of the world, which you aren’t if you are reading this, then you have influence over someone. I guarantee it! If you are in relationship with others in any way, you have influence. In Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus says, “You are the light of the world. (Christians) A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” If you have made Jesus Christ your Lord, this verse is giving you encouragement in that you have something to share and you should come out of your shell and be willing to do that, because the world needs your unique gifts and talents that God wants to use for His glory! You may think that you don’t have anything to offer, but if you have Jesus, you have something to offer. Think of a flame on a candle. Does it matter if it’s a super tiny flame or not if you set it to another wick on another candle? No, that other wick lights right up doesn’t it? It doesn’t matter how small the flame or how new of a Christian you are, or how much Bible you know, you have been given the light of Christ and you have something to offer those who don’t. So don’t hide it in fear thinking that you need to become some great bible scholar first. Pray and ask God to send just the right people in your path. He will, because there are people whom He will send that can only receive in the way that you would share with them. God is so good to set us up that way, if you will yield to Him.
Also, consider that you are having influence even if you don’t think you are. When you are at work how do you conduct yourself? In front of your kids when you are upset about something, how are you conducting yourself? You are leaving a mark, whether for good or for bad, on the people you are in relationship with. Sometimes we need to pray about being a better influence and sometimes we need to pray that God increases our influence. Sometimes it’s both actually.
Remember that being a biblical steward is a life long journey of growth and constant learning. It’s about aligning our lives with the Word of God. It’s allowing the Holy Spirit to do His work within our hearts, so that we no longer see ourselves living a life separate from the Lord, but that every part of our lives are completely and wholly surrendered to Him for His eternal plan.
Prayer: God, I surrender my will, my life and all that I have, to your work and your purpose. Help me in my walk with you and in being the steward you have called me to be. Teach me to live a life worthy of the call and to glorify you in every aspect of my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
