Stewardship
Stewardship
Worship has always included sharing what God has given us with others. Justin, an early Christian teacher and martyr, wrote of the practice of stewardship within the church in The Apology of Justin the Martyr:
The well-to-do and those who are willing give according to their pleasure, each one of his own as he wishes, and what is collected is handed over to the president [pastor], and he helps widows and orphans, and those who are needy because of sickness or for any other reason, and those who are in prison and the strangers on their journeys.
Stewardship means recognizing that nothing we have really belongs to us. Everything we own belongs to God. We are simply the stewards of his wealth, his gifts, his opportunities, his houses, his cars and his computers. Sharing is to be in our DNA. Yet much of the world identifies the Christian West as consumers rather than people who are good stewards. Fifty years ago Americans consumed half as many goods and services per person as they do today. During the same amount of time the size of homes tripled. Every day we buy more clothes, appliances, cars, books, televisions, computers and so forth simply because we can (and often when we can’t). Some sociologists have named this propensity to continually purchase and consume more, “affluenza.”
God intends for the body of Christ to battle affluenza and reach the world with his loving care. He does this through people who steward his wealth by sharing their resources and gifts. Stewards distinguish between building their own kingdom and building the kingdom of God.
The practice of stewardship will reveal what is in our heart. Stewardship shines its light into our entitlement mentality and on our need to impress others with what we have. Stewards ask hard questions:
- What do we need to have to be content?
- Are we willing to share?
- Will we live on less so that others might have more?
- Can we enjoy the public beach rather than own a beach of our own?
- Will we take public transportation or invest in a hybrid vehicle rather than buy another internal combustion engine?
- Can we downsize rather than trade up?
Exodus recounts the story of the building of the tabernacle. Moses asked the people to give to this cause with their talents, gold and time. So many people wanted to give that Moses had to order the people to stop giving: “And so the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work” (Exodus 36:6-7). How different would it be if we had such a desire to give?
Stewardship poses hard questions about the unique intentions of our hearts. The questions are always aimed at us personally, and we cannot read the heart of another. So let us refrain from judging others’ choices and attend to God’s question, “Are you doing all I would have you do with what I have given you?”
Reflection Questions
- How does the knowledge that all you have belongs to God affect your life?
- When have you gone without so someone else could have?
What was that like for you?
- What are your current addictions? For example, shopping, technology, keeping up with the Joneses, watching TV?
How do these addictions affect your use of your resources?
- What would it mean to you to begin to downsize so you could give more to others?
- What would it be like for you to consider helping brothers and sisters in your community with their financial needs?
Spiritual Exercises
- Ask God to speak to you about being a steward of his gifts to you. Decide to give God a percentage of your income rather than a dollar amount. Then as your income rises and falls, give appropriately. Begin to increase this percentage as you earn more.
- Take a look at the people who regularly are in and out of your life. Do you feel any sort of responsibility to know their needs? How does knowing a need affect you? • How could you be the loving hands of God’s provision to someone you know?
- Think back over your life. When have you given something that brought you great joy? What did you give? Why did it touch you so deeply? • How might you continue to give in the area that gives you joy?
- How does the way you were brought up affect your stewardship? List the strengths or weaknesses that have been bequeathed to you. • Then consider the legacy you are passing on to others. What do you want people to say about your stewardship of your resources once you are gone?
- Form an investment club that gives all of its profits to the cause of Christ. Enjoy discovering where you want to give. Invest in the kingdom of heaven.
- Give a deserving person a “bonus.”
- Practice giving a tithe (typically 10 percent) of your God-given income back to God. • Increase the tithe to a larger percentage as your salary increases.
- Set aside a “shepherd’s purse.” Collect all your quarters and put them in the purse. Then when you hear of a need, offer what is in your “shepherd’s purse.” Children can begin a “shepherd’s purse” with nickels or even pennies.
Resources on Stewardship
Casting a Vision for Good Sense by Dick Towner
Good Sense Series by Dick Towner
“Holiness is not a condition into which we drift.” —John Stott
Truth Telling
DESIRE | to live an authentically truthful life |
DEFINITION | Truth telling involves speaking in a way that does not exaggerate, minimize, deny, rationalize or manage the truth. |
SCRIPTURE | “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:37) “Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. . . . Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.” (James 3:5-6, 10) “Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment. . . . The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.” (Proverbs 12:19, 22) |
PRACTICE INCLUDES |
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GOD-GIVEN FRUIT |
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