The heart of stewardship
His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord. Matthew 25:23
The workplace benefits from team members possessing an ownership mentality, as it means that the team members are willing to take greater responsibility and take the job seriously. The ownership mentality, however, has a drawback. It may lead to a possessive mindset and an attempt to gain control. It is for this reason that stewardship is better than ownership, a good steward sees their role as a gift to be used for the good of others. Instead of being possessive, a good steward is willing to cultivate it well for a greater cause than themselves.
God created the world and humans, but He did not give us ownership of the earth, He gave us rulership of it. While God is still the owner of the earth, humans are tasked with managing His creation. We all stand before God on that DAY as the Bible clearly states, "So each of us shall account for himself to God.". Romans 14:12, therefore, we will be judged based on how well we manage His resources. The key verse is about the stewardship principle Jesus used in the parable about the master who gave a sum of money to each of his three servants.
As God's stewards, we are called to accomplish His purposes by properly using our material, talent, and spiritual resources. All of us are enrolled in the management training program, which includes tithing. While God doesn't need our money, tithing cultivates qualities such as accountability, integrity, faithfulness, and trustworthiness, which are crucial for being a good steward.
A good steward also has a sower's mentality. In addition to our money, our talents and spiritual gifts like prayers for the kingdom are the seeds, and although we might not see the fruit immediately, the harvest will come with multiplication when the time is right. Our labor for God will not go unrewarded.
When we are a good steward and demonstrate excellence, faithfulness, and good management principles, God will multiply what we do, expand our resources, and entrust us with greater things. Best of all, we can enter into joy with the Lord. This is our best reward for being His stewards!
Blessing prayer: May we have a stewardship mentality and see that it is our joy and honor to serve our just and gracious God. In Jesus' name, Amen
