“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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