Stewardship

       

        Have you ever watched a period drama, an old Victorian show or movie, or even some of the original Disney fairytale movies where the royals or wealthy characters have a steward? I have, but I never really gave much thought to what a steward does until I got older.

        By definition, a steward is one who handles the financial and legal affairs for the owner of a property or estate. In other words, they manage the owner's business. So we, as followers of Christ, are called to be about our Father's business, to be ambassadors for Christ, to be managers of what God has so freely given to us.

        Paul expresses his desire for all Christians to be seen as stewards in his first letter to the Corinthians: "Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God." (1 Corinthians 4:1, NKJV)

        Peter urges the Christians spread across Roman provinces in Asia Minor to use their gifts as stewards of God: "As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." (1 Peter 4:10, NKJV)

        If we are charged with the great responsibility to steward "the mysteries of God" and "the manifold grace of God", then how do we go about that? How are we to handle the mysteries of God whose knowledge alone passes all understanding? How are we to handle the grace of God that manifests itself differently in each life along the way?

        The simplicity of the matter is this: Being a steward of God's mysteries means telling the people around us the story of Christ believing that He will open the eyes of the blind, lift the veil from their hearts, take away the mystery of the gospel and offer them the answer to all of life's questions. We can be stewards of the mysteries of God because the ways of God that the world cannot understand are no longer hidden to those that are in Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:6-12) The Holy Spirit works in us who know Christ, guiding us into all truth (John 16:13), enabling us to steward well. We who know Christ, know and understand the will of God, the overarching plan for the world that he set in motion before time began. We have those truths in the palm of our hands, and hopefully they are written on our hearts, etched into our very beings. Like Philip, being led by the Spirit, preached Jesus to the eunuch in the eighth chapter of Acts, we have what we need to steward the mysteries of God, for we have the same Holy Spirit living in us.

        We can also steward God's marvelous grace because we are living in it every day. When we, who have been imbued with such a gift, allow God's grace to flow in and through us, we can't help but share it with others. God's unmerited favor and mercy equips us to freely offer grace to others, no matter the cost to us.

        Stewarding the grace of God in day to day life can look different for each person or situation. In Peter's letter, he illustrates this by using the word "manifold", or "motley" in Greek to reveal God's grace is, indeed, various in character. If we lean into the Holy Spirit and allow Him to guide us, our stewardship will naturally change and adapt appropriately for the scenarios we encounter. Petere also encourages the recipients of his letter to better love one another through their gifts of hospitality, the words they use, and in serving one another. If we apply what Peter taught and steward God's grace using our gifts and talents, we must ask ourselves:

        Are we using our talents well? Are we enhancing our abilities? Are we cultivating the individual strengths (and weaknesses) that God has written into our DNA to bring others to him and thereby bring him glory? Are we taking the blessings God has bestowed on us and blessing others with them? Or like the servant in the parable of the talents, are we hiding away our best, frustrating the grace of God?

    Do we steward our time well? Our money? Our possessions? Our words? Our relationships? Our emotions? The Word?

        All of these things and more are blessings from God. He entrusts us with people, moments, and abilities to steward well. Are we taking care of them? Are we managing them in service to God or in service to self? Are we being wise in our decision-making? Are we giving all that we have and the best of our blessings so the glory of God may be revealed and shared with others?

        I know that's a lot of questions, but they're questions we need to consider. They're questions I need to consider and remind myself of more often. I make choices every day that attest to how I am stewarding the time God has granted me on this earth, and I often find myself guilty of wasting time on vain things when I know that tomorrow is never guaranteed. Yet, I also place a little more pressure on myself than what's necessary regarding how I spend my time. I work myself into a mental tailspin trying to decide what activity or chore to prioritize in a day or moment when, in reality, I simply need to ask myself, "Which choice will bring God glory and which one will bring me satisfaction?"

        That's what it all boils down to. Stewardship is service, and service is selfless. If my actions and thoughts are serving myself, am I stewarding well?

        I want to steward my time well. I want to latch onto every minute God gives me, living it fully for Jesus and not for my flesh. I want to steward my gifts well, to let the grace of God direct my talents, to allow the Holy Spirit to move through my writing. I want to steward my relationships well, loving others like Jesus, upholding them when they need a friend, leading them to the arms of the Savior. I want to steward my possessions well, making use of what I have, denying the desire to hoard pretty things that "moth and rust doth corrupt" (Matthew 6:19), and blessing others with what I don't need. I want to steward my life well, so every moment and every breath is a form of praise and grateful prayer that keeps me tied to my Creator. I want to remain humble in what God has provided for me and put it all to use for his Kingdom, so others will benefit when Jesus comes back to bring us home. I want others to receive the grace of God through my stewarded blessings and hear on that great day, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant... enter thou into the joy of thy lord." (Matthew 25:21)

Holy, Heavenly Father,

        Thank you for the innumerable gifts you give and the bountiful blessings you provide. May we steward our gifts and blessings to honor you. Give us the wisdom to use our talents, our time, and our days well. Help us to not take these blessings for granted but share them with others. If we don't know how to move forward, let your Holy Spirit lead us. And, Father, please forgive us for caving to our apathetic and slothful nature. We know you can strengthen us to walk in your ways, to steward your mysteries and grace well, and to love others as you have loved us. We praise you for your faithfulness, unending love, and enduring mercy! Thank you for your Son through whom we live and love. May our lives ever reflect Jesus Christ as you transform us in his righteousness. In Jesus Christ's holy name. Amen.