Stewardship means that we are charged with using the time, talents, and treasures that God has given us. At times we can be a little confused how to use those gifts. Part of the reason for that is because we can easily forget that God is the owner of everything. “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it…” The Psalmist doesn’t leave any room for confusion. EVERYTHING belongs to God.
If you own land in Ireland, a title goes with that land. I have to say Lord Frederick of Kernersville has a nice ring to it. Is there anything else besides a title that can suck you in so that your possessions begin to own you? I’m sure. Guard your hearts!
The parable of the Shrewd Manager found in Luke 16 is a wonderful example of good stewardship. Many people have a hard time with this parable because the behavior of the manager is sinful at worst, careless at best. In fact he loses his job because of his behavior. So on his final day of employment he does all kinds of dishonest activities so that when he leaves the business, at least he’ll have friends.
There is one point to this parable. The reason that he could easily, and happily, literally give away the store was because… none of the oil or wheat belonged to him. Ever wonder why there is so much waste in a government or really any large bureaucracy? It’s because the people have large amounts of money to spend and none of it belongs to the people spending the money. This of it this way. Will you be more cautious with your money? Or will you be more cautious with my money?
The point of Christian stewardship is that NONE of it is ours. So if that is true – and it is. Why is it difficult to be generous? Your time doesn’t belong to you. Your treasure might be the last part of the Christian to be converted according to Martin Luther, but that’s not yours either. Even the talents and skills you possess are not yours. God gave them to you, and one day he’ll demand them back.
So what will you do as a steward of God’s gifts? Leverage them for his kingdom. Watch this week’s lesson from Ancient Wisdom for 2021 to find more information.
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You can find all of the Bible classes from our series Ancient Wisdom for 2021 HERE.