Good stewardship is always rewarded with increase in responsibility. Growth comes when we do well with what God has already given us. This applies to ministry, finances, and much more.

EVERYONE HAS SOMETHING

Everyone is given something to be used for the glory of God. Everyone has resources, big or small. Everyone has energy - whether a little or a lot. Everyone has time. Everyone has influence, free will, and relationships. Inside every human being, God has deposited gifts, talents, and abilities. Everyone has been entrusted with something, and, therefore, everyone has the responsibility of maximizing their potential and using all they have, to the best of their ability, unto the glory of God.

DILIGENT PARTNERS

We were made for the glory of God. Since the beginning, God has sought a partnership with man. Man was made to steward what God started, to cultivate what God created, and to call into order what God has called into existence. We are called to be diligent partners of God.

God has provided you with the substance of your life. You must exercise your free will to shape that and then give it back to God as an offering. Our purpose is to love and glorify God through whatever means we have been given.

Good work ethic. Diligence. Focus. These are marks of the Spirit-filled. These are marks of good stewards.

THE PARABLE

Think of the parable of the talents. In that parable, a master went away on a long journey, leaving varying monetary amounts with his three servants.

14 “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. 15 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. (Matthew 25:14-15, NLT)

The servants were given resources in proportion to their abilities. Now, in the parable, the master never once gave them specific instructions. They were simply expected to do something with what they had been given. They were expected to take initiative with what they had been entrusted.

When the master returned, he evaluated the performance of each servant.

“After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. (Matthew 25:19, NLT)

Notice that the servant who had the least wasn’t excused because He had a different starting point than the other servants. Nobody can say, “I didn’t do anything for God because I don’t have what others have” or “I don’t have anything to offer God.” A different starting point is never an excuse for inaction and poor stewardship. Just because we don’t have what others have doesn’t mean we aren’t responsible for what we do have.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON STEWARDSHIP

When you steward well what God has given to you, that good stewardship unlocks the door to more responsibilities. God wants to entrust you with more, but can He?

Stewardship is about increase and productivity. Stewardship is about walking in divine authority. Stewardship is about recognizing that everything in your possession belongs to God. It’s all His. And when we take care of and when we use well what He has already given to us, He can trust us with more.

So how can you maximize what God has given to you? Even if you feel you have little, what can you do right now to further the Kingdom of God? When you treat what you have like it’s what you want, God will bring the increase.

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