What is stewardship?

(2:23) Hello, my name is Ron Blue. We want to talk today a little bit about stewardship. It’s a topic, it’s a word that we hear a lot about, but I think there’s a lot of misunderstanding when we use the word stewardship. Literally, the word “stewardship” means management. You can think of it as a trustee, a manager, a hired manager. So, when I talk about being a steward, I am talking about being a trustee or a manager or a trust officer in a bank – it’s similar to that.

I think the misunderstanding when it comes to stewardship is that it talks about money -- and money only. The reality is that stewardship is really all about life management. So, I am a steward over my body. God’s Word holds me accountable to the temple of the Holy Spirit. I am a steward over the Truth that I have, the teaching that I have. I am a steward over the relationships, the unique relationships that God has given me. I am a steward over my time. Am I using it the way that God would have me to use it? I am a steward over the talents, the gifts, the uniqueness, the way that He has created me. And, of course, I am a steward also over the treasure, over the resources: the financial resources and other resources that He has given me.

So, when you think of stewardship, you need to think of it holistically. And, biblical stewardship says that God is the one that provided, God is loaning me “this,” God is giving me charge over this. And, whatever this is (in its broadest context), I am to use what He has given me for His honor and for His glory. Jesus said, “I have finished the work that He gave me to do.” (from John 17:4) In reality, as we look over the last 2000 years, there was a lot of work still to be done, but Jesus had finished the unique work that He had been given to do. And you and I, as stewards, need to finish the unique work using the unique resources that God has entrusted us with.

Click here for the October 16, 2009 Blog Entry