…Everything under heaven is Mine (Job 41:11).
The earth is the Lord’s and all of its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein (Psalm 24:1).
For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are Mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is Mine, and all its fullness (Psalm 50:10-12).
The most important fact about stewardship or being a steward is that we are NOT the owners. We are not in charge. We do not have the whole picture of what is needed to keep things running.
God is the owner. Everything originates with Him. He is the source of life and everything associated with it. He is in charge. He sees all – what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, how it needs to be done and who He has assigned to do each task. It is for His glory that we live as stewards. That is where discipleship comes in. That is where prayer comes in. Unless we follow the Lord and unless we get His guidance, we accomplish nothing of eternal value.
Each of us is unique. Every one of us has specific talents, spiritual gifts, personality traits, temperaments, backgrounds, heritage, strengths and motivations that make us who we are. My assignment in God’s world is not exactly like your assignment and your assignment is different from anyone else’s. Even in marriage, our differences complement each other and complete the unity that God wants to demonstrate through the home. Your calling from God is yours alone and mine is also unique.
What we do have in common is the administration of our callings – the stewardship of our lives. The principles of stewardship apply to every believer. How do we live our lives in order to give Him the greatest praise?
Stewardship is the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care. A good steward is careful to make the right choices about what God has entrusted him with.
Good stewardship does not come naturally. Lazy people are not good stewards of God’s gifts. Right choices can only be made when we focus on God and ask for His wisdom to accomplish His plan for our lives. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways (James 1:5-8). A double-minded person is unstable. He will not receive anything from the Lord and thus will not be able to DO anything for the Lord.
What can God trust you with? When God created you, He knew everything that would happen to you, also knowing whether He could trust you to trust Him during each day. He knows your thoughts which is why He can hear your silent prayers. He knows your heart. …For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). He knows the number of your days….In Thy book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them (Psalm 139:16).
We do have a Master that we are accountable to for our stewardship of His resources, but He is not a typical master. He is our Father and He loves us. Stewardship is a consciousness of being loved by the One who gives us everything we need and much more. Gratitude will lead you to be careful to give back to Him what He wants.
There is no greater joy than accomplishing the purpose for which God created you – the stewardship of your life. God is the One who will accomplish His purpose in you. …He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6).
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