Why is Biblical Stewardship Important?
Asking “Why” is important when challenging or evaluating what we believe. It’s really the only way to reveal the truth that we’re seeking to find.
So why is biblical stewardship important then?
First, it’s important to understand that what we’ve been entrusted to manage isn’t ours. And because it’s been entrusted to us, we’re ultimately responsible for how it’s cared for and used.
Spiritual Maturity
Our role as stewards is also important because it has a direct correlation to our spiritual health and spiritual maturity.
I’ve yet to see a poor steward that’s walking in the Spirit and on the contrary, I've yet to see a faithful believer that’s mature in their faith, stewarding in an irresponsible manner.
Faithful stewardship is good fruit of a Spirit-filled life. Fact: Biblical stewardship can’t be faked. There will be good fruit or bad fruit based on how you choose to steward. But either way, there will be some sort of fruit.
We see Paul write about the fruit of the Spirit in the book of Galatians.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, kindness, gentleness, and self-control; against such things there is no law.”
Paul describes the fruit of the Spirit with several commendable qualities. Believe it or not, these qualities go hand in hand with faithful stewardship.
We Have to Choose
Stewardship also forces us to make a decision of our allegiance.
Are we going to manage what we have to glorify ourselves or glorify God? You may be shrugging this off but it’s a very real choice that all of us are consistently confronted with.
And let me say that not deciding is the default decision to serving ourselves. It’s no wonder that Jesus spoke so much about money and possessions.
It reminds me of when He spoke of the inability to serve two masters.
"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money."
God wants to use this responsibility of stewardship in our lives to bring honor and glory to Himself. But He also wants this role to guide us into a more intimate relationship with Him and to let others know Him.
The Purpose
I was once taught that what we’ve been entrusted with is a tool, test, and testimony.
Tool
We were created in God's image. Creating and building is one of His characteristics that we’ve inherited (and how cool of a characteristic to inherit!).
Whatever we possess can be used as a tool to live, build, cultivate, and produce exponentially more than not having it.
We are God’s workmanship!
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Just as He uses us to accomplish His will, we need to use what He’s entrusted to us in accomplishing His will.
Remember a tool is just a means to an end, it isn’t the objective in itself. What I love about tools is that many are needed to complete a project and they all have different purposes.
They are all different but integral to the success of the project. The same with the body of Christ!
Test
The test lies in if we’ll use what we have in a God honoring way. A way that expresses our obedience and desire to fulfill the will of the Father. Are we faithful with what He’s given us to manage? Or has our worship shifted from God to what we’ve been given to manage?
Like the scripture above, Jesus tells us that we cannot serve both God and money (or anything else for that matter).
A great illustration is to determine how we’re holding what He’s given us. It’s either with an open hand or a closed fist. Do we acknowledge that He can take it whatever He wants whenever He wants?
God is up to something, He always is. And He’s constantly seeking out faithful servants that He can entrust more to in order to carry out His will.
The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) is a great example of this. The master entrusts a specific amount of money (talent) to each of his three servants according to their own ability. The first two servants faithfully double what they were given to manage.
However, the last servant was lazy and instead of working and putting the money to use, he buries it and renders it useless. We see that the master is extremely pleased with the first two servants but abhors the last servant.
“For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But for the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
This is a very convicting parable. We must steward above reproach knowing that we’ll be settling accounts with the master one day.
I don’t know about you but I definitely want to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.”
Testimony
Finally, we can use what we’ve been entrusted with as a testimony. It’s all meant to point back to God. We have the opportunity to share what we possess so that others may experience the Gospel, so that they may see Christ and hopefully know Him.
This goes for both believers and non-believers. When others look at us, they should see something different, something compelling. When they ask us, we then have to opportunity to share the Good News.
“…but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,…”
1 Peter 3:15 (ESV)
Us and God
I love the story of the poor widow giving her last two mites. I love it because it’s a story about a compelling faith.
“And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.’"
Every time Jesus acknowledges someone’s faith in scripture I perk up a little bit. It didn’t happen very often. What can we learn from this account?
Well, this is a story of full surrender (literally). This kind of faith just isn’t very common. Now does God actually ask or want us to give up everything we have? Of course not, but should we be ready & willing to at any time? You bet.
As a financial planner, I’ve noticed that personal finances are typically the last area within a Christian’s life that they’re willing to surrender to God. Secretly, I think it’s because we fear giving up control and comfort within our lives. I may be wrong, but that’s just how I feel and what I’ve noticed.
But the moment we realize that it’s all God’s and will always continue to be His, we’ll find freedom waiting for us. To know that we are His prized possession, tov meod, and that He is all we need is liberating. Stewardship is just a part of God’s master plan to sanctify us.
