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WHAT IS A STEWARD?
I have a devotional book sitting on my desk at the church. I usually only have office hours one day a week, so I don’t read this daily. The book is Giving to God: The Bible’s Good News about Living a Generous Life by Mark Allan Powell. Chapter 2 starts with a verse of scripture: Think of us this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mercies. (1 Corinthians 4:1).
We talk about stewardship in the church, but I think we focus on it as a way to raise money. Are we really practicing stewardship? Are we stewards? Remember, God created everything, so that means we don’t have ownership; we are only stewards. If you hired (or asked) someone to keep an eye on your home when you’re on vacation, they are a steward of your stuff. They don’t own it; their only responsibility is to make sure your stuff stays safe and is in the same condition as it was when you left.
I think we forget that we are stewards. Too often, we forget we’re only stewards and start to think that the property entrusted to us is actually our own.
We are stewards of what God has done. We didn’t choose to be. We just are. Don’t feel bad; I’m not trying to make you feel guilty. How about if we look at being a steward as something better than just a hired hand? What if it is part of our calling as Christians and disciples? God has entrusted us with caring for God’s creation.
“We are the agents through whom God has chosen to bring about God’s purposes: love and joy and peace.” [1]
Look around God’s creation. How can we be God’s agents?
Look around the church. How can we be God’s agents?
Look around what you have “control of”. How can we be God’s agents?
Don’t focus on how what you see betters your life and you. Try focusing on how what you do with it changes lives.
So what do you see?
Feel free to contact me at sranousacctg@twcny.rr.com or susanranous@unyumc.org
[1] Giving to God, p. 29
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