I would like to have a better understanding of stewardship!
Stewardship literally means ‘administration’, or taking care of the responsibilities that have been given to you. The steward is entrusted by his master to take care of his household. All believers have a stewardship and the Lord delights in the faithful and wise steward as we read about in Luke 12:42-43 – “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.” From this verse we learn two vital qualities of a steward: faithfulness and wisdom. In fact, we also read in 1 Corinthians 4:2 – “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” To be a proper administrator of the Lord’s things, we must be faithful to Him. This means that our hearts are set upon Him, our blessed savior and we are not occupied with the world and its attractions and distractions. As believers on the Lord Jesus Christ, we are told in Colossians 3:1-3 – “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” To be a faithful steward, we cannot have divided allegiance. We learn from Luke 16:13 that, “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
Secondly, we must be wise in the handling of the Lord’s things. We must use discretion, making the right decisions that will please our master, the Lord Jesus. It is crucial for the good steward that he read, understand, and obey God’s word. Matthew 7:24 tells us, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock.” When we learn and are obedient to God’s Word, the Lord considers us to be wise. It is no good to be wise in our own eyes, as we read in Proverbs 3:7 – “Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.” The thought here is to be wise before the Lord. Proverbs 12:15 tells us that, “he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.” In other words, the one that listens and obeys God’s Word is a wise person. The true servant never does his own will. His desire is to do the will of his master. So it is with the believer. As stewards, may we never seek our own will, but may our desire be to please our Lord; to live lives that honor Him.
As faithful stewards, what is it that we administer or minister to others? 1 Peter 4:10 says, “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” We learn in Ephesians 4:7 – “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.” All believers have been given a gift or gifts that we might minister to one another. We learn in Ephesians 4:12 what the purpose of our gifts are, “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” So, as good stewards, may We seek the Lord’s guidance to develop and use the gifts He has given us to minister to one another. I encourage you to read Ephesians, chapter 4 to learn about the gifts the Lord has given to His church and how we might use these gifts to edify, or build up, our brothers and sisters in Christ.
So, in conclusion, the Lord wants us to be faithful and wise stewards. He wants us to use the gifts He has given us to minister God’s grace to others. How precious is the thought that the Lord has entrusted us with these blessed responsibilities. How wonderful it is that we might serve our Lord and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. (10.3)