How does God want me to use the resources available to me?
Matthew 25:21“The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’”
This entire parable (Matthew 25:14-30) was used by Jesus to describe the functioning of the Kingdom of Heaven. Not every servant is given the same amount of resources, but each is expected to do their best in managing what has been entrusted. What is assigned to each servant is “in proportion to their abilities,” making God the source of resources as well as opportunities to use them well or poorly. The reward for faithful stewardship is more responsibility.
Matthew 24:45-47“A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns.”
God wants us to use what we are given to serve him faithfully. The reward for doing what he designed and equipped us to do is even greater opportunities for doing what he designed and equipped us to do.
Ecclesiastes 11:1-2Send your grain across the seas, and in time, profits will flow back to you. But divide your investments among many places, for you do not know what risks might lie ahead.
We should be open handed with the wealth God gives us, sharing what we have with a generous heart. We should always hope for the best, but we should also not neglect wise planning in the face of unforeseen challenges.
1 Chronicles 29:1-9Then King David turned to the entire assembly and said, “My son Solomon, whom God has clearly chosen as the next king of Israel, is still young and inexperienced. The work ahead of him is enormous, for the Temple he will build is not for mere mortals—it is for the Lord God himself! Using every resource at my command, I have gathered as much as I could for building the Temple of my God. Now there is enough gold, silver, bronze, iron, and wood, as well as great quantities of onyx, other precious stones, costly jewels, and all kinds of fine stone and marble. And now, because of my devotion to the Temple of my God, I am giving all of my own private treasures of gold and silver to help in the construction. This is in addition to the building materials I have already collected for his holy Temple. I am donating more than 112 tons of gold from Ophir and 262 tons of refined silver to be used for overlaying the walls of the buildings and for the other gold and silver work to be done by the craftsmen. Now then, who will follow my example and give offerings to the Lord today?” Then the family leaders, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the generals and captains of the army, and the king’s administrative officers all gave willingly. For the construction of the Temple of God, they gave about 188 tons of gold, 10,000 gold coins, 375 tons of silver, 675 tons of bronze, and 3,750 tons of iron. They also contributed numerous precious stones, which were deposited in the treasury of the house of the Lord under the care of Jehiel, a descendant of Gershon. The people rejoiced over the offerings, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord, and King David was filled with joy.
We should have an attitude of joyous generosity as we seeking to please God in practical ways.
Ecclesiastes 11:6Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both.
We should prepare for the future by wisely managing what is entrusted to us. We should not to put all our eggs in one basket and should not count our chickens before they hatch. Wisdom doesn’t reduce life to mechanical processes but sees God’s hand in all things.
Deuteronomy 16:17“All must give as they are able, according to the blessings given to them by the Lord your God.”
Proverbs 3:9-10Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.
As we are able, we should give to God’s servants and God’s work even to the point of sacrifice. The discipline of tithing and sharing with others is not motivated by God’s needs but by ours. We are diminished when we fail to be generous toward God and others.
Proverbs 3:27-28Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them. If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say, “Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you.”
Luke 3:11John replied, “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.”
Romans 12:13When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
We should use our resources to help others who are in need. Radical generosity is also a radical trust in God.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
It is important for us to take care of our bodies, so we will be strong and healthy to serve God and others. How we use and how we rest our bodies demonstrates our understanding of stewardship.
Matthew 24:45-47“A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns.”
Matthew 25:14-15, 29“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip. . . . To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.”
Luke 12:48“But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.”
John 17:4“I [Jesus] brought glory to you [the Father] here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.”
1 Corinthians 6:19-20Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
1 Corinthians 9:16Preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News!
We are ultimately accountable to God for the use of our gifts and opportunities. God entrusts resources to each of us and then expects us to maximize the effectiveness of those abilities in wise and godly stewardship. While the most talented people may seem the most blessed, they are also carry the greatest responsibility.
2 Corinthians 5:9-10So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.
Stewardship means accountability, making daily decisions and conducting ourselves so we can stand before God on judgment day.
