Stewardship. It’s one of those old, churchy words you probably don’t hear often – but it’s a word ripe with meaning and purpose. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines stewardship as “the conducting, supervising, or managing of something; especially the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.” This definition hits the nail on the head: a steward is a manager of someone else’s resources.
The biblical foundation for stewardship recognizes everything we have comes from God and, consequently, we’re responsible to care for all He has entrusted to us. First Corinthians 4:2 says, “It is expected of managers that each one of them be found faithful.” Without a doubt, God expects us to be faithful managers of all He’s placed in our care.
Although stewardship is often connected with money, and for good reason, there’s much more for us to manage in our lives beyond the financial. Stewardship comes down to this: doing the right things with what we’ve been given. Whether it’s money, time, relationships, or the environment, the key is to make thoughtful decisions rooted in biblical wisdom.
Our ability to be responsible managers is utterly dependent on God’s guidance. We need His wisdom to navigate the many competing opinions swirling around how we use our finances, how we spend our days, how we approach our relationships with others, and how we care for the environment in which we all live. We need practical advice for balancing and budgeting these gifts God has given us. After all, how we manage the things in our care demonstrates our faithfulness to God’s mission and kingdom.
Excerpted from *Manage: Caring for All God Entrusted to Us*, a Bible study by Threads. Reprinted with permission. Visit threadsmedia.com/manage for more information.