If you’ve grown up in a Christian church or participated in a Bible Study, chances are you’ve heard the term stewardship and have some idea what it means. Typically, the first thought we have is that it means tithing or relates to our finances. I believe that is true but not the whole story. To me, good stewardship is carefully managing what God gave you to serve.
To Serve Others
As it says in 1 Peter 4:10-11, ”Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” In this example good stewardship means using your gifts to serve others. The writer then continues and lists ways you could serve, “If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides…”
We were all created differently and given different abilities. Some of us are better at encouragement, while others possess the gift of teaching. Both are needed along with many other gifts and very rarely do you see people who are gifted with everything. No matter what you’ve been given, it’s important to use these gifts to help those around you.
To Serve God
From the parable of talents found in Matthew 25:14-30, we find a lesson on serving God. In the parable, each servant is given an amount of talents or gold based on their ability. The servants who used their talent to produce more were admonished, and the one who buried their talent was criticized. The message is clear, don’t waste the talents given to you by the master.
It doesn’t matter how much talent you have; all that matters is that you use it. Again this looks different for different people, but if you’ve been given a certain skill, then there’s probably an area that skill can be used.
To Serve With Your Income
As believers, we are called to have one master because we can’t love both God and money. This doesn’t mean that money can’t be a useful tool. There are a lot of people who could use help and many times that help comes in the form of food, water or shelter. All of which are items that can be bought.
Since all of our money and resources come from God in the first place, giving it back can be an act of worship. Giving back can be a real source of joy and with a proper budget plan anyone can give what they have. If you’re looking for some resources about budgeting you can check out this article by Ramsey Solutions.
To Serve With Your Resources
When using our talents and serving the world, we are called to be wise as serpents and gentle as doves, which could be interpreted in many ways. It’s about finding that balance between being gentle without being pushovers, we must give what we can while also being aware there are those who would take advantage of a giving heart.
It is a thin line that seems to be ever changing as we grow. But in a world that can be full of deceptive people, we must be aware of their tactics without succumbing to them ourselves. We’re called to use our resources wisely, not just write a check and forget it. See where your money goes, make sure it goes to the right people. You can schedule a demo with My Well Ministry for a free analysis.
To Serve Your Purpose
Most of us want to find our purpose and know why we’re here on this planet and I think the best way to find your purpose is by serving with intention. Good stewardship can lead to benefits in all areas of your life. It helps those around you, strengthens your relationship with the Father and helps us along the way. Feel free to share this blog and keep the conversation going!
