How Do You Define Stewardship?
How often do we think of money when we sit in our church pews and hear teachings on stewardship ? We might even cringe in anticipation of being asked to dig into our pockets and part with our hard-earned cash.
Lord knows, we’re concerned about the state of the economy these days, and are more than a little apprehensive about what the future might bring. “Not a good time to ask me to give,” some might say. And they look down at their shoes, trying to appear as invisible as possible.
Yes, God needs our money; His work cannot be accomplished without it. But stewardship is much more than just giving a little chump change to God. Stewardship is God’s call on every believer’s life to let Christ shine through and be fully revealed to a world that is rapidly succumbing to spiritual bankruptcy.
It’s giving back to Him everything He has given us—our time, our love, thoughts, desires, passions—in other words, the very lives that He purchased with His blood at the cross. Come to think of it, if true stewardship involves total and complete surrender of everything that we are, giving our money might well be the easiest part of the stewardship the Bible requires of us.
How very disappointed God must be to see us fret and worry about what’s going on in the world today and how, at the same time, we’re trying to hang on to everything we own. Did Jesus not say, “It is more blessed to give than to receive”? Did the Master not take from the one who buried his talent and give it to the one who put his talents to work for the Master?
It’s all about giving to God so that His work can be done. It’s all about trusting Him to care for us in the same way He provides for the lilies of the field and the birds of the air. “Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God…” This is the true stewardship God teaches in His word.
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Comment by stacymiller on 17 March 2009:
Great story Gail, thank you for reminding me to give even in these difficult times.
Nothing we own is really ours, to begin with God gives to us so we can give to others.
Giving is a blessing and a responsibility.
Since giving is a blessing, it doesn’t just help others it lifts us up as well. That’s why I keep a charity box displayed in my home Just drop a few coins in the pushka every so often, at least once a day.
No other mitzvah evokes as powerful a divine response as tzedakah. It makes sense: God takes care of me and I take care of others.
May God fill your life with His boundless blessings in all matters material and spiritual.
Comment by Tony Field on 21 April 2010:
Yes, but people are not giving money to God are they? God does not have a bank account, and anyway – he owns everything.
People are giving money to religious groups.
The Vatican is one of the richest organisations in the world but it still asks for money. Why doesn’t it do good with the money it already has?
Much better to give money to the Red Cross who will do something very useful with it which will 100% for sure help the poor and starving.
Comment by Gail on 23 April 2010:
I couldn’t agree with you more, Tony. God owns everything; and He is so gracious as to allow us to use some of it for our needs, our pleasure, and our having the resources to give to Him out of our love for Him.
It is unfortunate that some religious organizations may not apply the monies they receive as diligently as they should towards helping the poor, the hurting, the hungry and the lost. Thank God there are still many that do.
Giving money is not the most important part of the stewardship God requires of us. He wants our time, our love, thoughts, desires, passions—in other words, the very lives that He purchased with His blood at the cross.
That involves our total surrender to Him.
In Matthew 25 Jesus talks about a king who brings the nations before him for judgment. In that illustration, the king blesses the righteous for giving him something to eat and to drink, for clothing him, for visiting him in prison and caring for him when he was sick. The righteous replied by asking when had they done such things for him.
In this parable, Jesus is represented by the king. His reply to their inquiry explains a lot about giving, whether money or service. “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
When we give food to the poor or clothing or help someone in need, we are doing it unto God. And the same is true with the giving of our money: when we give money to the church, we are giving it unto God.
Comment by Gail on 23 April 2010:
I couldn’t agree with you more, Tony. God owns everything; and He is so gracious as to allow us to use some of it for our needs, our pleasure, and our having the resources to give back to Him out of our love for Him.
It is unfortunate that some religious organizations may not apply the monies they receive as diligently as they should towards helping the poor, the hurting, the hungry and the lost. Thank God there are still many that do.
Giving money is not the most important part of the stewardship God requires of us. He wants our time, our love, thoughts, desires, passions—in other words, the very lives that He purchased with His blood at the cross.
He’s talking about our total surrender to Him.
In Matthew 25 Jesus talks about a king who brings the nations before him for judgment. In that illustration, the king blesses the righteous for giving him something to eat and to drink, for clothing him, for visiting him in prison and caring for him when he was sick. The righteous replied by asking when had they done such things for him.
In this parable, Jesus is represented by the king. His reply to their inquiry explains a lot about giving, whether money or service. “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
When we give food to the poor or clothing or help someone in need, we are doing it unto God. The same is true with the giving of our money: when we give money to the church, we are giving it unto God.