THE CONCEPT OF STEWARDSHIP

“The  heaven,  even the  heavens, are  the  LORD'S: but  the earth hath  he given to  the children  of  men.” Psa115:16

A steward is  a person who  manages  the affairs,  finances,  property  and  resources  of another person.  God has  given  the earth  to  us  to  steward  according  to His purpose.  Stewardship  is  not for the  ‘super saints’ or for  those in leadership.  Every  Christian  is  called to  be  a  good steward.   This  is one  of  the major lacking  factors  among  most  Christians.  We  do not understand that we are stewards and  how stewardship works.  We  just live  our lives as if  everything  is  to  us.  We  need to examine this  concept of  stewardship.

THE PARABLE  OF THE TALENTS

14  For the kingdom of  heaven is as a man travelling  into a  far country,  who called his  own  servants, and delivered  unto them his goods.  15  And  unto  one he  gave  five  talents, to  another  two, and to  another  one; to every man  according to  his  several  ability; and straightway  took his journey.  

These  talents  that  the  master  gave  to  his  servants can illustrate  several things.  Salvation,  natural  talents, abilities,  skills, qualifications,  experience,  money etc.  the  point  is  that God  wants  us  to  use  whatever He gave us to  further His  kingdom.   This  master  gave to each  servant  according to  his  ability to  steward and  manage.  Whatever  God has given  us  is according  to  our ability  to  manage.  We  are not  all  the  same.  We  have different temperaments, talents, personalities  etc.  and all  of us are designed to  accomplish  different  things.  It  is why we  should never  compare ourselves  to  other people  or try  to  be like them  or do what  they do.  We are not like them.  What  we need is  to find out  what God  called and equipped us to do and do  it  to  the best of our  ability.

16  Then he that  had received the five talents went and traded with  the  same,  and made them  other five talents.  17  And likewise  he  that  had received  two,  he  also gained other  two.  

Immediately  the  good  stewards got to  work  multiplying  what their lord had  given  them  so  as to increase his net  worth.  They  got  into  business.  This  is one  of  the  most  important  duties  of a steward.  To  increase and multiply  what you  have in your  hand.   The  steward is expected  to manage  their Lord’s  resources through work, being  diligent  and  faithful, saving and  investing  in order to  increase  their  Lord’s  net  worth. Increasing  net  worth  is one  of the primary jobs  of a steward.  A steward is  required  to  increase and  improve whatever is handed to  them.

This is the principle of multiplication and is illustrated by  the commandment God gave to  Adam in the garden. “And God blessed  them,  and God  said  unto them,  Be fruitful, and  multiply,  and  replenish  the earth, and subdue  it: and have dominion over the  fish  of  the sea,  and over the fowl of the  air, and  over  every living thing that  moveth upon  the earth.”  Gen1:28

This  is  God’s job description for man.  It  is what He expects  man  to  do.  It  is what He told  us  to  do when He created  us.  
Be fruitful.  (Parah)  It  means to  bear fruit,  bring  forth  fruit,  to  grow,  to  increase, to  be  very  productive, to produce  in abundance.
Multiply.  (râbâh)  It  means  to increase  (in whatever respect),  to  bring  in  abundance,  enlarge,  excel,  be full of,  to  be  great, to  grow  up,  to  heap,  to  increase,  to  have  more  in number,  to  yield  much  (greater, more).
Replenish  (mâlê’  mâlâ’  eth)  It means  to  fill or  be  full of,  to  fulfil, to  over  flow, fulness, furnish, gather, satisfy, to  have wholly.
Subdue  (kâbash)  It  means to  conquer,  to  subjugate,  to  keep under,  to bring  into  subjection, to  tame,  to overcome, to  soften, to  melt,  to reduce to tenderness.
Have  dominion  (râdâh)  It means  to  prevail against, to  reign over,  to  rule,  to  govern,  to be  in  control,  to master.  

All  of these explain  God’s  expectations  of us.  His  job  description to  us His stewards.  He  has  put us  in charge  of this  earth  to  rule over it,  control it, replenish  it, fill it and  increase in it.  And  we  do this by mastering it  because  of our superior  intellect  and abilities and our  connection  to  Him. He  expects  us to subjugate and  bring into subjection  all resistance,  violence  against us, harshness  of nature and disease and poverty.   He  expects us to increase  and multiply in wealth, power, wisdom, knowledge,  good health  etc.  so  as to achieve His  purposes upon  the  earth.

This  is what these faithful stewards  did.  They  took  what their Lord  gave them  and multiplied it  and gained even more wealth  and power  and dominion  for their lord.

18  But he that  had received one  went and digged in the earth,  and  hid  his  lord's  money.

Sadly,  most  of us today are  like  this  foolish steward.  Instead  of  taking  what  our  Lord gave us and increasing  it  we are  comfortable to  wrap it  up  nicely  and hide  it.  We  don’t  want to upset the  status  quo. We  don’t  want to get  out  of our comfort zone.  We  are comfortable going  to  work daily and coming  to church  on  Sunday.   We  don’t  put  our talents,  gifts, abilities  and anything  else to  work.  We  feel  that this is  too  hard and inconvenient.

19  After  a  long time the lord of those servants cometh, and  reckoneth with them.

This  is another important principle  of stewardship that we need  to  understand.  The  principle of accountability.  We  will  all  one  day account  for  everything that  God gave us.  The  talents, skills,  gifts, experiences,  favor, abilities etc.  
“Wherefore we labour, that, whether  present  or  absent, we  may  be accepted  of him.  For we  must all appear before  the judgment seat of  Christ; that every  one may receive the  things done  in his  body, according to  that he  hath  done,  whether it  be good  or bad.”  2Cor5:9-10

We will  appear before the  judgment  seat of Christ  and give  account  of what  we  did  in the  body  whether good or bad.  All  of us.  No  believer  will  escape  because no  believer  is not a  steward.  Every  believer  is a steward.  Every believer  will have  to account.

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