No, I didn’t spell that wrong. The Stuarts were the kings of Scotland, who later became the kings of England as well: James VI of Scotland became James I of England. One of them married the sister of Henry VIII, the great Tudor king of England, and when his daughter Elizabeth died childless, the throne went to her cousin James. But even if you’ve heard of the Stuart kings, do you know that the name was originally spelled “Stewart”? The family were the high Stewarts of Scotland before ascending to the throne themselves; Mary Queen of Scots made it look French when she lived in France, and because France was always considered the coolest, the reason the Bullens of England became the Boleyns. But to get to the point, what is a steward and what do they do?
A steward is one entrusted with another’s property, to protect, manage, and improve. A king would have a steward to manage the king’s personal land and wealth while he ran the kingdom. That’s exactly what God has done; he has made us his stewards in His kingdom. We talked about some at Triple B as you may recall. I think it is important enough to revisit one more time.
First, being a steward is recognizing that we are not the owners. The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, Psalm 24:1. You don’t own that home, nor does the bank. You don’t own those investments, that car, or anything else. At the end of the day, that all belongs to God. He has put it in your care, but you are answerable to Him for what you do with it.
Secondly then, we should look at all that we have – yes, money, but also time and abilities – as things that must be managed for His glory and advancement, not our own. He lets you drive His car, but with any company car, you use it to advance the company’s business. You must see your money, abilities, and time as being His service, not your own. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. I Corinthians 6:19-20. That’s a principle that goes for more than just your body.
Further, we have a responsibility to improve what we’ve been given. We can’t just sit on it, or worse, abuse and diminish the value. Jesus gave us a parable about “The Talents.” As recorded in Matthew 25:14-30, two of the stewards invested the money they were left and doubled it. The foolish steward just buried it, and returned it with no gain. He received rather harsh punishment. We can’t just take our money, abilities, and time, and not do what is possible to grow them. Whatever abilities God has given us and whatever money must be increased, developed, improved.
Do you know the difference between an “app” and an “OS”? An OS is a computer’s operating system, like Windows or Android or whatever it is that Apple products use. They set up the whole operating environment of the computer, communicating with memory, peripherals like printers and wi-fi, and executing the commands of the software. The operating system is in the background in a sense, but it is the whole structure that makes everything run. What we do is open apps, like email, word processing, spreadsheets, or an internet browser, and use its functionality. But nothing runs or works without the OS loaded and operating. What I’m trying to get at is that stewardship, our Christianity, shouldn’t be an app. It’s not something we just run when we need it, and close when we decide to move on. Stewardship, our Christianity, needs to be an OS, so that everything else is life functions within it. We would call this a worldview, foundational pre-suppositions that determine how we see and decide everything else. So is stewardship an OS, or an app for you?
Think about it:
- In Genesis 1:26-28, God gave man dominion over the earth – that is, He made us His stewards of his creation. How should we view the animals and land environment, in the light of what it means to be a steward?
- What abilities, both natural and spiritual gifts, has God given you? Do you know your spiritual gift? How are you improving/sharpening those gifts, both spiritual and natural?
- If our abilities are from God, and I am His steward of those abilities, how should I view what I do at my job? How does affect the quality of my work, and what I do with the income/profits?
- How does my care of my possessions change if I see them as belonging to God?
- What does stewardship suggest to us about the real nature of tithing?
- Which is harder for you to steward for God’s glory – money, abilities, or time? Why?
- Is Christianity your OS or just an app?
Written By: Tim Barsuhn
