Stewardship

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

September 16, 2014 at 7:51am

Until recently, the term stewardship was not used much in the contemporary world outside of churches. More recently it has become a major theme of books about management in both business and nonprofit organizations.

“The term steward is misunderstood and even foreign in our society. We do not have any terms in our modern vocabulary that carry the richness of this term. Caretaker fails to capture the responsibility laid on the steward. Manager seems inadequate to describe the relationship between the owner and the steward. Custodian is too passive a term. Agent is too self-serving in our day. Ambassador is too political, and it lacks the servant aspect.Warden is too administrative and loses the sense of the personal. Guardian is too closely tied solely to parental responsibilities.” (Rodin, p. 27)

In order to truly understand what Jesus’ hearers understood Him to mean, we need to put all of the above together: a steward is responsible for managing the owner’s resources, has a close relationship with the owner so that she knows what He wants her to do with them, is active, not passive in her role, is not self-serving, serves humbly and personally, and does guard her Master’s assets, but not in a parental way, that is to say, makes the decisions the Master wishes, not the ones her own wisdom would suggest, like a parent would.

For a better understanding of the Bible’s concept of steward, reread the story of Joseph. He embodied all the concepts above.

There are three other Bible stories: the parable of the talents, the story of the sheep and the goats, and the story of the ten bridesmaids, which will give us some insight. It is strange that only one of these is normally associated with stewardship, when you consider they are all together in the same passage.

Three Parables in Matthew 25

September 17, 2014 at 7:09am

The Ten Bridesmaids and their stewardship: In the parable of the ten bridesmaids (or virgins) found in Matthew 25:1-13, the oil is not a gift; it must be purchased. In this case, the currency is not cold, hard cash but faith that buys the gift.

The oil’s presence or absence has eternal consequences for the ten bridesmaids. Notice, too, that the parable is about ten virgins, five foolish and five wise, rather than about five wise virgins and five foolish prostitutes. The reference to virgins is a symbol of purity. One could say that the fact that they are all virgins signifies a purity of religion. But what distinguishes the wise bridesmaids from the foolish ones is their actions. The wise virgins not only have faith, but a living faith. The wise virgins keep a reserve of oil, planning ahead. They are good stewards, or custodians, of the light they have been given.

In the light of day, it might be hard to tell the difference between the foolish and the wise virgins. But in the darkness, the difference between the lamps with oil and those without shines forth. The ones without oil have no light or warmth to impart to others. A lamp without oil in it is useless; so, too, a life without the Holy Spirit to inspire us to act as diligent stewards of all with which we’ve been entrusted.

The Master and His Property: The parable of the talents, found in verses 14–30, is the one you would expect to find in a presentation about stewardship, and we will indeed spend more in-depth time on it later. For now, the most important point is that the property clearly belongs to the Master. He entrusts His servants with His property, but these are not gifts; He expects an account of His property, and its return, when He comes home from His trip.

Why is the Master so upset with the third servant who merely returned His Master’s property without improving it? Some truths about good stewardship are still just as evident in our society today as they were then. Careful stewardship is still usually rewarded with more property or resources to invest, whereas lack of stewardship is cause for the removal of the property or responsibilities that we have.

The Sheep and the Goats: The story of the sheep and goats follows hard on the heels of these two parables, in verses 31-46. Have you ever thought of this parable in the context of stewardship? It is clear that the sheep and goats are both blessed with considerable material and temporal blessings. Neither the sheep nor the goats recognize how the use of these blessings has affected their King, but the King directly acknowledges their stewardship with regard to the poor, the suffering, the sick and the oppressed in the world; and it has consequences of eternal death or life, as did the parable of the talents. Clearly God considers stewardship a life-and-death matter! Why do you suppose that is?

Stewardship of Life as a Worldview

September 18, 2014 at 6:51am

The parable of the talents is one of the Bible passages most cited in discussions of stewardship. There are books, sermons, articles, and websites which analyze all aspects of this parable. One certainty is that stewardship is more than a prudent use of money. Stewardship is about making God a priority over everything else in life. Two Christian young adults write that they “see stewardship as ... a worldview that encompasses all of life ... including what we feel (e.g., arts, aesthetics, relationships, worship), what we think (e.g., philosophy, theology, history, science), and what we do (e.g., technology, work, finances, social action, spiritual disciplines).” They view “stewardship as a comprehensive concept including all aspects of practical living and the life of the mind.” (Miller)

The study of what it means to live a whole Christian life, which is what absorbs the attention of all true followers of God, is clearly a lifelong endeavor. We miss a lot of blessings when we pare it down to the use of money, or even of talents. Stewardship is how you live. Period.

The Joys of Stewardship

September 19, 2014 at 7:57am

Paul urges us to become living sacrifices, dedicated to pleasing God. At first, the idea of using “sacrifice” and “joy” in the same sentence may seem contradictory. Can you please God and also please yourself? As the Christian grows in maturity and experience, he discovers more and more that denying self and making sacrifices in order to please God actually bring out the true self God intended him to be. He thought he had to give up joy in order to please a God he may have thought was distant and uncaring, or watchful and angry, waiting for a chance to knock him down. Now he learns that doing what pleases God gives him greater pleasure and joy than he has ever experienced before.

A life of stewardship becomes a continuous state of worship. What greater joy could there be? Stewardship also has the purpose (the one that pleases God the most) of bringing joy to others. That too becomes so much fun it no longer seems like a sacrifice at all. There is simply no earthly satisfaction greater than that of stewarding the resources God has given, seeing someone else grow because of it, and then watching that person spread new wings and fly in the use of her own gifts!

A Balancing Act

September 22, 2014 at 7:57am

The Bible teaches (in Ecclesiastes 3:1, among other places) that there is a time for everything. Some of the things listed there, in fact, are things we all wish there were not a time for, such as “kill, destroy, lament, and rip out.” There will come a day when there is no longer a time for any of these things.

In the meantime, this teaching suggests a life of balance. Somehow, while on this sad planet, we have to hold both the joy and the sorrow, the accomplishment and the pain. We also have to figure out how to use just 24 hours to take care of all that God gives us to care for. That means ourselves, our families, our work, our play, our money, our time … all of it. The only way to accomplish such a balancing act is to invite the Holy Spirit to be in charge.

We can also watch Jesus. He accomplished so much in His thirty-three-and-a-half years here, balancing ministry with family, friends, and personal spiritual growth. As we study the four following categories of things we are stewards of, let’s pay particular attention to how Jesus took care of each one.

Categories of Stewardship - Our Body

September 23, 2014 at 7:46am

Our Body: In the secular world, most people regard their bodies as their own property. They believe they have total
say over what happens to it. This applies not only to vast numbers of women who claim that they should be free to decide whether or not they will have an abortion but also to all who feel they have the right to harm their bodies by the use of illegal substances or by eating large quantities of junk food or by having sexual relationships with as many partners as they choose.

In stark contrast, 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20 says clearly, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”

The immediate context indicates that the apostle Paul was, in particular, referring to the abuse of our body through sexual immorality. Unfortunately, this is as relevant today in many parts of the world as it was in ancient Corinth, a city known for its perversities. But the basic idea is that we should not “sin against our body,” because we are not our own. First, we have been created by God through Jesus Christ. He is our Maker, and we therefore are responsible to Him for all we do. Second, He is our Redeemer, the One who has bought us “at a price.”

Stewardship of our bodies implies taking good care of our health, too. It has to do not only with what we eat but also with the amount of rest we take and with keeping fit through adequate exercise. And there can be no question of using substances that are addictive or otherwise harmful.

Yet, again, there is need for balance. “Health itself is not to be a preoccupation. It should be a part of the Christian pattern of life and rather automatic in operation. An overriding preoccupation with health can be a form of idolatry that gets in the way of a satisfying relationship with God. Health is to enable service to God, but is not an end in itself.” (Van Dolson and Spangler, p. 43, emphasis added)

Idolatry! That’s strong, but it’s clear that Jesus did not travel around Galilee worrying about His health, what to eat, where to get it, how much to pay for it, etc. he hardly even said anything about the subject except to make people well and whole, warn them not to sin again (which may indicate they had made some unhealthy choices), and—notice—tell us in the sermon on the mount not to worry about our food! Did He eat? Yep. Enough that people called Him a party animal. Was it locally grown and organic? Yes again. That was all that was available at the time. Was it vegan? Sorry, no, it was not even vegetarian. We know for certain that Jesus ate fish, and can assume He ate lamb at Passover if not other times.

Yes, it’s a different world. Yes, we have to be concerned with things Jesus didn’t. But let’s not get idolatrous about it, let alone judgmental of others. (continued)

Categories of Stewardship - Our Time

September 24, 2014 at 7:53am

Our Time: There is a plethora of books and courses on the subject of time management. They have helped millions of people make better use of their time. Many Christians would do well to read some of these books or attend a good seminar. But there are aspects to a Christian use of time that one will learn only by reading the Bible and, in particular, by studying the life of Jesus.

What do we learn from the Gospels about Jesus’ use of His time? What are some of the elements to be noted, apart from His busy schedule of preaching and healing? Let’s look at a few examples:

“Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.” (Matt. 4:23)

“As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.” (Mark 1:29)

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35)

“Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’” (Mark 6:31)

“He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read.” (Luke 4:16)

“On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.” (John 2:1)

“Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.” (John 12:2)

In today’s stressful world, the example of Jesus is as refreshing as it is worth imitating. Jesus worked hard and was fully committed to His mission. But He made sure that He did not miss the blessings of the Sabbath (and He sometimes worked at church, too.) The Gospels make it abundantly clear that He had time for His Father, for His friends, for relaxation, and for a good meal. He also took time off , and encouraged His disciples to do the same.

The most startling evidence of Jesus’ stewardship of Himself and His time, though is not to be found directly in the Bible, but in the studies of those who have attempted to make a chronology of Jesus’ ministry. He took sabbaticals! Out of that brief, three-and-half-year time!

If you take the Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 5, and compare the commentary on page 198, the map on page 221, and the timeline on p. 231, you will find a “retirement from public ministry” that may have lasted all the way from His third Passover to that fall, His last celebration of the fall Feasts (and even then, He traveled secretly; see John 7:2-13.) This is not to say that Jesus spent the whole time relaxing on a beach. There were still miracles, mostly among Gentiles. People always found out when Jesus was near, and always made demands on Him, and He usually (not always, Mark 1:37-39) couldn’t resist fulfilling their desires, especially when they came to Him in faith, like the Syrophoenician woman.

Since we know that Jesus spent a large part of His time in direct communication with His Father through prayer, we may be assured that His breaks occurred at times when God thought He needed them. This type of time management (or rather, time stewardship) will prove a blessing for all who practice it.

The Bible does not praise workaholics, nor does it have any commendations for those who always take it easy. As always, there is a balance, one in which we get done the things we need to get done, while at the same time we don’t burn ourselves out emotionally or physically. God has the first claim on our time. We manifest this in our keeping of the Sabbath and our daily time for prayer and worship. Our loved ones also are entitled to a fair share of our time. Then there is time for work, for leisure, and for a host of other things. The church also claims a substantial part of our time. But there must always be a balance so that we don’t fall into one trap or another.

Monday, September 29, 2014

Stewardship - Day of Reckoning

September 29, 2014 at 7:59am

There is an important dimension in the parables about the talents and the pounds that we must not miss. In Matthew 25 “the master” (vs. 19, NIV) went on an extensive journey and returned after a long time to settle the accounts with His servants. In Luke 19 we are told that the “man of noble birth” (vs. 12, NIV) went to a distant country. While on His mission, He was made King and then “returned home” (vs. 15, NIV).

Jesus clearly referred to Himself. He wanted His disciples to know that He was going away and that it would take a while before He would come back. But when He returns He will ask for an account of what was done with what we have been given.

On this quarantined planet, the whole purpose of stewardship is taking care of what the Master has entrusted us with while He is away. When we live in perfect wholeness with Him, it will be much easier to know what He wants us to do with His blessings, but only because we will have practiced now.

While we wait, we live with a purpose. It is not a waiting in idleness, but we wait as dedicated disciples who are keen stewards over all we have been given. “We are to be vigilant, watching for the coming of the Son of man; and we must also be diligent; working as well as waiting is required; there must be a union of the two. This will balance the Christian character, making it well developed, symmetrical. We should not feel that we are to neglect everything else, and give ourselves up to meditation, study, or prayer; neither are we to be full of bustle and hurry and work, to the neglect of personal piety. Waiting and watching and working are to be blended. ‘Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.’” (White 1952, p. 23)

We are waiting for the Owner of everything to return. Soon He will come and will want to know what we have done with our gifts, our time, our physical strength, and our material resources. The fact that He comes to inspect the results of our faithful stewardship should not in any way frighten us. The accusation of the servant who had buried his talent and refused to employ it usefully, that the master was a “hard man” who wanted to harvest where he had not sown, was totally false. Note that the servants who had been faithful stewards did not share this negative view. Every effort they had put into their stewardship assignment was fully worth it when they heard their master say, “Come and share your master’s happiness” (Matt. 25:21, NIV).

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Stewardship - Our Material Possessions

September 25, 2014 at 7:31am

Fact number one: Everything begins with God. God owns everything. And He gives us the strength to work and make a living. Those who say, “It is all my own hard work,” forget a vital truth, which is that it was God alone who enabled them to earn what they did.

Fact number two: God takes first place in all we have and do, including our use of money. Before you spend any part of your money, make sure you have set aside your tithes and offerings. Then spend the rest responsibly, always aware that stewardship extends to the use of whatever money you have been entrusted with.

Fact number three: God expects His people to return to Him at least 10 percent of their wealth. That was the rule in the Old Testament, and that principle has never been rescinded. In Old Testament times the tithes were received by the priests and used for the support of the sanctuary services. Likewise, today our tithes are received and used for financing the worldwide gospel commission that God has entrusted to His church.

Fact number four: The more we give, the more we are blessed. Try it, and you’ll see for yourself the truth of the words that “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35, NIV). Don’t, however, get the idea, often propounded, that these blessings are necessarily temporal or financial! If we look at giving tithes and offerings as a get-rich-quick scheme, our problems are far deeper than a stewardship issue!

Stewardship - Talents and Gifts

September 26, 2014 at 8:08am

If there were a prize given for the clearest explanation of the all-encompassing profound concept of Christian stewardship, Jesus would have easily won it with His parable of the talents.

Reality number one: We all have talents. Note in the parable that all the servants receive one or more talents. No
one is left without some talent. That is the first truth Jesus wanted to impress upon His disciples.

Reality number two: We do not all have the same number of talents. It is a fact of life that we will have to accept. Some people are gifted in many ways while others are not so multi-talented. Those who have several talents
should never look down upon others who have fewer talents. Jesus’ point is clear: The quantity of our talents is not the most important; what we do with whatever we have been given is what matters.

Ellen White writes, “The Lord will not require from those who are poor that which they have not to give; He will not require from the sick the active energies which bodily weakness forbids. No one need mourn because he cannot glorify God with talents that were never entrusted to him. But if you have only one talent, use it well, and it will accumulate. If the talents are not buried, they will gain yet other talents. (Nichol, Volume 5, p. 1100)

Reality number three: Some refuse to use their talents. Some never recognize the talents they have. Sadly, no one reminded them of their gifts. Or they did realize their gifts but, for a variety of reasons, refused to invest any energy in developing them. Perhaps they spent their time, as in the quote above, mourning that they didn’t have someone else’s talent. What a loss!

Reality number four: Not using your talents is a serious business. The “worthless servant” gets no second chance. He is thrown “into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 25:30, NIV), a symbolic description of the utter nothingness of eternal death. Not using what God has entrusted to us not only impairs us in this life but jeopardizes our eternal life. This means that the issue of being faithful stewards is not something that belongs to the periphery of our Christian experience. It is the vital characteristic of discipleship.