Stewards vs Owners

Before I became a believer at age 28, I would occasionally attend church with family or friends, and I always seemed to hear a sermon about money. Friends would sheepishly apologize or try to explain that the church wasn’t what I assumed, but my mind was made up: I believed that the purpose of church was for the pastors to find a way to separate us from our money. I was jaded, distrustful and absolutely certain that these pastors had no right to “my” money in the name of God. When I became a Christian, I realized that God does not need our money. We give because it changes us from the inside out and I also came to understand that the money in our bank accounts is not really ours.
As an American, I was raised to be self-sufficient. Generally, I and others are tempted to believe that our money is ours, our talents are ours, our family is ours, our health is ours and so on. It reminds me of many two-year-olds, screaming “MINE!” over a toy. Like the two-year-old, the tighter we hold something, the more we believe it belongs to us!
The Bible does not teach ownership, rather it teaches stewardship. In Genesis 1:26-28, God makes humanity to rule over (which means being responsible for) the fish, birds, livestock and wild animals. In Genesis 2:15, God puts humans in the Garden of Eden to work in it and take care of it. The Creator God who made the Heavens and the Earth, created humanity to have stewardship over the earth, not to own it. “The earth is the LORD’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it” (Psalm 24:1). A steward is someone who manages someone else’s property. The Bible teaches us that our wealth, talent and time is not ours, but rather a gift from God.
If we look at ourselves as stewards, rather than owners, then we begin to understand that all that we have is not actually ours. Several years ago, I was saving to purchase a wrought-iron bed. It was something that I had dreamed of since I was a little girl and it was well worth the wait. One day as I was listening to the radio, the station was partnering with a non-profit to build homes in Haiti. During this particular hour, there was a sponsor willing to match all donations. A $1,000 donation would build a $2,000 house for a family without a home. All of a sudden that wrought-iron bed that I had been dreaming about didn’t seem so important. Now, 10 years later, I love my inexpensive bed because it reminds me that there is a Haitian family who is sleeping in a house of their own. Generosity is a muscle that grows as we exercise it – with deliberate intentions, we can be more attuned to where God is working and join in with the resources that God has graciously entrusted to us.
In The Blessed Life, Robert Morris recounts a story from his early days when he was a traveling evangelist. All of his income came from the offerings he received from preaching. He and his wife were generous givers and trusted God to provide for them, and their needs were always met. After one preaching engagement, the local pastor informed Robert that this was the largest offering that his little church had ever given to a guest preacher. When Robert looked at the check amount, it was equal to one month’s budget! Just a short while later, Robert discerned God speak to his heart, urging him give the whole check to a missionary who had spoken earlier in the evening. Initially reluctant, Robert obediently gave the check to the missionary. During dinner that evening, a parishioner gave Robert 10 times the amount that Robert had just given away to the missionary. Later in the book, Robert confesses that if he thought of his income as belonging to him, then he would never be able to be generous as the Holy Spirit prompts him. Rather, it’s because he realizes that he is a steward of God’s finances that he can trust God to provide for him while using the resources that God has given him to bless others.
I continue to be challenged by what my pastor refers to as “unrestrained generosity”. If all that I have really doesn’t belong to me, then I have these resources is to accomplish the will of God. It’s certainly a step of faith to believe that God will provide for us, so we can just let go of the resources we steward and be generous. Author Randy Alcorn says, “One day, money will be useless. While it’s still useful, God’s money managers with foresight will use it for eternal good.”
My sincere desire is that I continue to be aware of how to best utilize the assets God has entrusted into my care. What are the places in our lives that we can relinquish control and take our rightful places as stewards and not owners?
Check out an earlier post by Amy here
Community of Christian Believers. In Community no one is in lack. Community not commune.
its all God’s anyway.
Church is about saving souls and if Christ Jesus is not preached, then there was no preaching. The Pulpit Pimps will have a lot to answer for .
ALL I HAVE IS MY LORDS AND FOR HIS GLORY IT IS LEND TO ME WHILE I’M ON THIS EARTH IF PEOPLE WOULD ONLY UNDERSTAND THE MORE YOU WHOLE HEARTEDLY GIVE THE MORE YOU RECEIVE ALL I HAVE ARE GIFTS FROM MY LORD I PAY NOTHING PEOPLE SAY HOW IF I TOLD THEM THEY WOULD’NT BELIEF THANKS GOD EVERYTHING
How true !!!!!
Praise the Lord singing Alleluia
Thank you for the post and I am in agreement
Ya i also agree praise the lord.
I agree
praised the lord
AMEN AND AMEN! So sorry that most just don’t get it! When you tithe, God blesses you in so very many ways! Amen!
“Then Assyria shall fall by a sword not of man, And a sword not of mankind shall devour him, But he shall flee from the sword, And his young men shall be forced labor. He shall cross over to his stronghold for fear, And his princes shall be afraid of the banner, says the LORD, Whose fire is in Zion And whose furnace is in Jerusalem” (Isaiah 31:8-9 NKJV) through the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN…
aMEN
AMEN
What is this doing on MY page??????
Better still, What are you doing on this page?
Interesting perspective. All the material “stuff” we accumulate in our all-too-brief existence on the planet will be left behind when we leave, so it was never “ours” to begin with.
This is a beautiful story!!! God bless us all.
Giving is a part of worship – if done with the right attitude; that of thankfulness for what God has entrusted us with….
Will a man rob God
I absolutely agree that giving is a part of our worship to God!!
amen
Yes, I agree too…I give all the Glory to God…Hallelujah….
AMEN
Amen
AMEN!!!
amen
Amen
It’s His!
right on brother.amen
amen
Trochia, It is a natural outpouring when you love and forgive everyone to want to give more and more. It stops being what you should do and becomes what you live to do. Out of joy and out of gratitude for all you’ve been given, don’t you think/
Its not anything but knowing and following GOD! Rules, regulations, tenants, beliefs differ but when You Come to Know JESUS,,He is your inspiration and life!!Then is when we Follow God and live in fellowship and not what we can or cannot do to become anything but its what God can do through you releasing ALL to HIM!! We become nothing, He becomes everything and sets us FREE to become….
Fact of life, when you love God, and tithe faithfully, cheerfully and regularly, as well as give generously, He gives you more. You simply cannot out-give God!
Churches have many high bills such as heat, lights,building improvements & breakdowns, etc etc. We must support them to carry on gods work. amen.
To enjoy being a CHRISTIAN, is to do everything GOD SAYS in his WORD???
BE A JOYFUL TITHER.
None of it is mine; it all is GOD’S anyway! May I not forget that!
Rajanya..plz send me a frnd rqust…i wana b ur frnd
We should give Tithes and Offerings!
Lovely prose for all to ponder and then some…
Keep in mind the money asked for in church is a replacement of the animal sacrifices in the early days. The dead animals were given to the poor as a sorce of food. Nowadays its money to buy food and clothes for the poor. The money is not used by the church itself. So nothing changed its just a change in perception.
Jesus replaced the animal sacrifices, Those people were looking forward in faith until Jesus died for their sins.
Jesus replaced the animal sacrifices, Those people were looking forward in faith until Jesus died for their sins.
This is very good.
give freely it feels great….
Give and it will given unto you!!!
you can’t outgive God!!
Yesssssss…..hi2
Amen
Yes
with a happy heart
AMEN
give with a smile
Gives back 10 fold……….
Nice mustache :{P
“AMEN”
He Provides
Amen!
What you sow in the Kingdom, stays in the Kingdom. Every dollar you give, or labor, or whatever you have, if you give your gift in the Kingdom, that is where it will stay.
LOL! I remember i took my brother to church and He did not have any cash so he pulled his credit card out of his wallet and was asking? you take credit cards!LOL i laughrd so hard he was so embarrass.
god take care of his childres food on table a roof over head a way to go and childern to love
Be A cheerful giver from your
He doesn’t look too joyful!
TYTHE!
🙂
Amen
Help each other Amen..
We give because it honors God, and if we give for any other reason, let it be for compassion, which honors God.
Amen
Everything belongs to Him anyway. We r just stewards
we give what belongs to the lord
Amen!
he looks like Mr. Monopoly without the top hat
Amen.
EN!!!
Amen!!
Amen
JESUS is my PROVIDER!
tithing is not scriptural
what a scam
How do you spell because???