Many folks have a misunderstanding of what it means to be a steward. Some think it is the campaign the church has once a year to raise more money. That’s not it. Others think it means taking care of the environment. That’s not it either. It has become popular to see stewardship as a financial plan to set you free from debt so you can live however you want. That’s not it. All of these are misconceptions of the true meaning.
Stewardship is not ordering your finances in a way that you can spend whatever you want; it is ordering your life in such a way that God can spend you however He wants.
Jesus did not die on the cross so we can live a life in pursuit of health, wealth, entertainment and vanity upon vanity. He died on the cross to stake His claim of ownership on our lives…You and I were bought with a price…we have a Master and by His love and grace we are beckoned to come and serve Him and build His kingdom, not our own.
You are truly a steward when you recognize that you are not the Owner; you are God’s temporary manager. And as His manager, your role is to be faithful to His purposes. Whether you have a lot or a little entrusted to your care, you must seek to allow God to have total control over your financial choices.
The challenge is to die to self and to come alive to Christ. Our ambition should be to become rich towards God, not rich in the eyes of men. When that is your heart’s desire, you are on the path to hearing, “Well done thou good and faithful servant...”
