“God, I want a house, car, land, job, husband, wife, children, business, money, good health, and opportunities.” But can we be trusted with these things? Will we steward them well?
A DEEPER PURPOSE
Our contemporary world is full of sirens: I want this, I want that – an insatiable appetite for more. Yet, our desires do not move our God nor shake the principles He has set to govern our world. There is nothing inherently wrong with having desires, particularly when these desires are not in opposition to the principles of God’s Word. We are reminded that He has given us all things to enjoy (1 Timothy 6:17). However, it is crucial to understand the preparation and subsequent responsibilities that come with all the blessings He bestows.
We must understand that God gives us nothing without reason. The truth is that we were made for His pleasure. And thus, anything He gives us is freely given by Him to assist us in bringing Him pleasure. Everything is for Him, by Him, and for His glory (Revelation 4:11).
Like an expert investor, He places varied treasures in our laps, and He expects substantial returns on His investments, in proportion to the abilities He has given us. Understanding this, we must view His investments as His property – merely given to us as stewards, not owners (Psalm 24:1).
THE OMNISCIENT INVESTOR
From a human perspective, it’s crazy to think that the Omniscient Investor would trust His mortal investment team with valuable capital. And yet, it isn’t crazy, because He knows the capacity He has placed within each of us to fulfil His purposes. He wants us – you and me – to fulfil His purposes by carefully managing His assets (Ephesians 2:10).
No matter what He’s given each of us to steward in our lifetime, He expects us to manage it with the grace He’s already given. For one person it may be showing up as a diligent student, putting in the hours for careful study to expand on the knowledge investment He’s deposited in you.
For another, it may involve being a virtuous wife and mother, embodying the role of a helpmeet and teaching her children the ways of the Lord in a crooked and perverse generation.
Another individual may be entrusted with excellent health, trusted to eat well, and take the necessary exercises to remain fit and healthy for the Master’s purposes.
Others are given multi-hyphenate capacity, entrusted with bringing life to multiple passions and talents with the aim of advancing the Kingdom in the marketplace. It could be as simple as loving the people He’s placed in our lives and meeting their physical and emotional needs, or as complex as managing multiple projects across varied disciplines (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Regardless of the perceived weight of importance we place on the deposits God has given us to steward, there is no doubt that the Omniscient Investor values every penny. He values every single bit of capital He’s given us to manage.
WHEN HE RETURNS, WILL HE FIND DIVIDENDS?
When God returns to settle accounts, will He get dividends? Stewardship differentiates the righteous from When God returns to settle accounts, will He get dividends? Stewardship differentiates the righteous from the wicked. It is the mark of distinction for the wise man, as opposed to the fool. Scripture gives a jolting reminder of the weight of stewardship. To whom much is given, much is expected. It is unacceptable for us to sit and disregard, or even waste, our Master’s investments. In His eyes, excuses fall short.
“Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.” (Matthew 25:24-25)
Newsflash! God doesn’t care about our excuses, especially when His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him (2 Peter 1:3). Furthermore, He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind that results in self-control and personal discipline (2 Timothy 1:7). Can you imagine that? God has given us power to exercise self-control and be disciplined. Against this background, there is no question why He dubbed the servant “wicked and lazy” when he buried his talent (Matthew 25: 24-25).
I speak not as one who has mastered this task but as one who is still actively wrestling to become more disciplined and a better steward. I know that comfort and safety are not options for a Christian. Like Paul admonished Timothy, we have a responsibility of stewardship to guard and boldly use the gifts, abilities, and even the most mundane tasks we have been given for the glory of the Lord. In our doing, He is promptly paid His dividends: His glory and His fulfilled will in our lives and the lives of others.
Can He trust us with more? That is wholly dependent on how we manage the initial investments. He may give us a number of things initially, but whether we retain those things, or even receive more, hinges on our faithful stewardship of the current investments.
Luke 16 reminds us that our stewardship shows whether we can be trusted to handle greater value. This ‘greater value’ transcends the realm of tangibles and reaches into the intangible realities of God.
“He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own? (Luke 16:10-12 NKJV)
Let’s put ourselves in God’s shoes for a moment. Be honest and ask yourself: “Have I stewarded God’s investments in a way that qualifies me to be entrusted with more?”
If our answer is “No”, know that God’s grace is sufficient for us to start afresh and become better stewards today.
Gabrielle Wright is a member of Youth S.O.U.L. (Youths Spiritually Operating Under The Lord) —a programme for youths, by youths, and with Jesus. Listen Youth S.O.U.L. on TBC radio on Fridays at 6 p.m./88.5/.9 fm. You may also stream via online radio platforms.