Stewards of Creation
Stewards of things given now
Accountability
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 1Peter 4:10 NIV
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace 1Peter 4:10 – ESV
Definition of Stewards
a person who manages another’s property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others. a person who has charge of the household of another, buying or obtaining food, directing the servants, etc.
It’s one of the first things God asked of us in Genesis 2:15- 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.
, after the creation of mankind we can see how God looks over his creation. (God’s Concern)
.there are examples in Jeremiah 2:7 – I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable.
and
Deuteronomy 11:8-12 – 8 Observe therefore all the commands I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 9 and so that you may live long in the land the Lord swore to your ancestors to give to them and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden. 11 But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven. 12 It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.
We are stewards of the earth, and we have a responsibility to care for it. Scripture is clear that all of God’s creation, not just mankind, brings him glory. Therefore, our stewardship and upkeep of the earth is one of the greatest offerings of worship we can give.
We worship God through our stewardship.
In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters, 3 and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.
4 His sons used to hold feasts in their homes on their birthdays, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom. Job 1: 1 – 5
God made man as a co partner to take care of all that he had made. It is the sin in us that there’s so much cruelty and manhandling of God’s creation including humans. We started dumping responsibility, that it is not my job, it is not in my job description. What will I get in this?
We see all around us that there is so much need, poverty, so much pain, so much lack, but we have the same statement.
We need to understand one thing is that when God gave responsibility to Man for the creation, it is even now, infact now with all the technologies and other advance progress, we are responsible for complex things as well.
Let’s first take a deep dig into our heart and understand what are we responsible for:
- We are responsible for our selves – my relationship with God, health, our spiritual growth, our financial condition (how well I have budgeted it?), our emotional and mental condition,
- We are responsible for our Family – God has blessed us with a family and we need to be accountable for all that we are doing for them. We need to love, spend time, communicate, teach, learn, contribute, and all that it takes to present to God that I have been a good steward to my family
- We are responsible for our church – the church health depends on me, how much am I giving, how much am I loving the people in the church, respect, accountability, can I be dependable? What part do I play in the church development and growth?
- Work Place – How faithful am I in my workplace? Do I respect my colleagues, superiors, subordinates. Do I respect the work that is given to me, how much effort do I put in and how much extra do I work.
Now all of the above is a few examples of where we have been placed majorly but there are such many things that we need to be stewards. We need to be taking care of our city, locality, nation and so on.
There are times when we are not in control but there are majority of the time when we do have some say or control over our locality, city or nation. Grab the opportunity and be good stewards.
Let’s begin by understanding what the scripture says about being good stewards.
How should we be stewards?
- Work Heartily
Colossians 3:23, ESV Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,
Respect the designation given to you. Don’t take it for granted. Honour your authorities. Many times we don’t give our best at work thinking that they don’t pay well or I did not get a promotion, and so on. We need to respect the position that we have been given.
Similarly, when we are holding a responsibility in the church, we honour it and with reverence we work for it. People in most places are working voluntarily, hence we may have a cringe to give in our best. The attitude ‘I am not getting paid for this’ is the most threatening. We forget that Jesus redeemed us at a great cost on the cross and we receive it freely. Similarly, we need to have the nature of Jesus when it comes to working for God or anywhere.
The bible is very clear that there is a reward awaiting you. The crown of glory and recognition. To enjoy any kind of work we need to first start working without any preconceived ideas or emotions. We need to start giving in our best. If we look at returns we are no different from others.
- Be Content
Hebrews 13:5, ESV Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Three category of contentment:
Not Content
Too much content and no ambition
Differentiated Contentment
Sometimes, I wonder why everyone is become so occupied. One, it could be that work travel has increased but the actual reason is that people have no content. I need everything to make me feel comfortable. I spend thoughtlessly. Then again grow discontent. I am not being a good steward of what God has given to me. I become jealous of the things that others have and I too want that. I want that lifestyle, I want that car, I want that …
The question is what about all that I have. It’s a privilege to have what I have attitude
The bible says that the more responsible you will be with what you have the more will be added. Let’s display how faithful we are with what we have rather than being discontent. You have one BHK be content with that, take good care of it. Open your home even with that and God who looks at your service will add more. He will make more rooms.
On the other hand, just being content but being content in other sense like this much only I can do, and not stretching yourself for God’s kingdom will be a question to your heart. Really, only so much for God?
I am only a volunteer in Sunday school but that person is the teacher, I want to be a teacher. I am only a manager in my office, I want to be a Vice President. These statements can be taken negatively and positively.
Desiring for more for good work and not for flaunting it. Also, being faithful in small first then hopping on to the big ones is being good stewards. It’s just not a title, it’s a responsibility. Take care of it – God says.
Also, the contentment differs in the place of service, example in church we would not even want to have that position because then we will have to work accordingly but at secular work place I want that position because I will get good reputation, money and it’ll come in my CV. We become content according to the emotions, the benefit and also the importance.
The bible says, wisdom of the world is foolishness in God’s sight. Let’s work for the Kingdom as it is the eternal perspective. Position and designation will last only for a life time but God’s kingdom is forever.
- With Godly Character
Titus 1:7-9, ESV For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
- Trustworthy
1 Corinthians 4:2, ESV Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.
- Can I be called trustworthy, do people have to keep a check on me?
- In the Family (first if we are faithful stewards in the family then only we can go out and serve.)
1 Timothy 5:8, ESV But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
- Be Diligent
Acts 20:35, ESV In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
- Be Honest
Titus 2:7, ESV Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity,
Luke 16:10, ESV One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.
There is a parable in the bible that Jesus teaches about being good stewads.
Matthew 25:14 – 30, NKJV
Parable of the Faithful Servant
14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
What do you think was the issue with the third person:
Obstacles to being good stewards
Fear
Laziness
Comparison – Less importance
Pride
Excuses
Lacks the Big Picture
Lacks enthusiasm
Assumptions
Deception
World , Flesh and the Devil will always refrain us from accomplishing goals or being good stewards for God.
Time for Reflection:
Entrusted
What has God entrusted you?
Received
What have we received from God to work on?
Ability
What are the abilities that I have?
Responsibility
How seriously or promptly am I taking the responsibilities of the opportunities that I have been given?
Think over it – Family, Children, spouse, parents, siblings, Church, Work, Home, Finances – How do I spend, if asked for an account, will I be able to say like the first two servants or will I say like the last servant?
Sandra wife of Virjil, The Renewed Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel, Church in Karanjade because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.
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