Being Faithful Stewards
No, I’m not talking about money.
Certainly, the proper management of finances is a key aspect of stewardship, and the one that most people consider. However, it is not the only aspect. It is probably not the most important aspect either.
Our bodies, our talents and our resources are given to us by God to be used in His service.
Romans 12:1 KJV
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 KJV
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 KJV
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
While we often consider Malachi 3:8-10 and Matthew 6:33 as the pre-eminent stewardship texts in the Bible, the texts listed above are equally important when it comes to matters of stewardship, for they deal with the use of our total allocation of resources. God does not bestow upon everyone the same financial resources, nor the same level of intellect (look at the parable of the talents in Matthew 25). He does, however, give each of us the same amount of time in a day.
How we use that time is up to us, but it is a critical part of stewardship. This year, I pledge to give God a more meaningful portion of my time, and consequently of myself. That’s really the message of Matthew 6:33. If we are faithful with our time to Him, God will bless the rest of our time in the same manner that He promises to bless the rest of our finances when we are faithful in returning to Him the portion that is His (Malachi 3:8-10).
Let us make good use of the time we are given each day, because we have no idea how much time is allotted to us in this life. We know not when we will be called to give an account for our usage of the resources placed in our care, but we do know that the day will come. Let it be your pledge that you will be faithful in all aspects of stewardship, so that will not be found hiding any of our talents in the ground.
Andrew S. Baker aka ASBSince 2004, Andrew and his wife have served in leadership roles in several ministries at their local church, including Family Life Ministries, Young Adult Ministries, Sabbath School Teacher, and Bible Study Leader. Andrew also serves as a moderator for several mailing lists pertaining to Bible Study and religion. His personal interests include Astronomy, Basketball, Bible Study, Chess, Comics, Computers, Family Life Ministries, Reading and Strategy/Role Playing games...
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