Psalm 50:10-12 – “For every beast of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird of the mountains, and everything that moves in the field is Mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is Mine, and all it contains.”
Our Nature
For you and me it was an old worn out tool, but to a little boy it was a treasure … and it was mine! Little Aaron was playing with daddy’s tool belt left on the floor after a long day of work. Quickly he noticed the most fascinating multifunction screwdriver and took off to accomplish some minor repairs around the house. It was just an old tool, but to Aaron it was a new treasure and he had no intentions of returning it back to his father.
More than likely if you have children in your life this story sounds all too familiar to you. Have you ever sat and thought about the fact that we don’t have to teach our children how to take what is not theirs? Unfortunately, it comes naturally as a result of our fallen nature. How often do we respond like Aaron did to our Heavenly Father?
The Fall
In fact, it was a case of misplaced ownership that led to the fall of man. The Lord gave clear instructions to His first children on earth, Adam and Eve, in reference to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil by stating “You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.” Yet they gave into the temptation from the enemy and ate the forbidden fruit. Ultimately, it was a futile attempt to gain something that was rightfully not theirs in the first place and their actions created severe consequences for the entire human race.
James 4:14, states that our lives are, “just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” In 2 Peter 3:8, we see that “with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.” Our lives are short in the sight of an eternal God.
Everything Belongs to God
In a similar way that Aaron was entrusted for a brief time with his father’s screwdriver, so we are entrusted with a portion of God’s resources: our time, family, home, car, financial resources, gifts, abilities and everything else. They’re His and when we give to support His work, we are only returning what was rightfully His in the first place.
Malachi 3:8-9 provides a firm warning for us to consider when we are not faithful with what is rightfully God’s. It states, “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, “How have we robbed You? In tithes and offerings.” “You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you!”
When we embrace the truth that everything belongs to God it causes us to realize that we must hold on loosely to all that God has provided us and seek His face for wisdom so that we are faithful stewards for the short time we have on earth.
Personal Application – Seeking Your Input
I think it’s important that disciples begin to discuss what it means to be a steward again. Notice, I didn’t say “stewardship”, but steward, because a steward communicates that this is a personal responsibility and not just another topic to discuss. We are stewards of God’s resources and must grow in that role or we will be like a stagnant pond. Giving and generosity have become taboo topics in many churches and most pastors are not providing solid biblical teaching and discipleship in this area. I don’t know about you, but when I’m struggling with something, part of my growth process is sharing with other disciples for wisdom and being teachable. If we never talk about this, how can we expect to grow?
Here are a few questions for us to get the conversation started:
- How often does your pastor preach or teach on generosity? Do you feel equipped in this area of your life?
- What has specifically helped you to transfer from an attitude of an owner to that of a steward?
- Is there something in your life that you have not completely given over to God? Share anonymously what that is and allow other ChristianPF readers to pray with you.
Leave your answers in the comments below!
If you would like additional free biblical resources on stewardship, visit one of these websites below:
- http://www.revolutioningenerosity.com/resources.html
- http://www.epm.org/resources/category/money-and-giving/
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
This is a powerful concept that is easy to lose sight of. We should hold loosely all that we have and keep this idea in mind. It all belongs to God and we are simply caretakers entrusted with it to build His Kingdom.
Chris, I like the practical questions. I think we discuss it quite a bit in our church. But then our church isn’t exactly traditional! I know our pastor, when preaching on the parable of the shrewd manager, has talked about using our possessions as a way to bring others to Christ. His line is–you can’t take it with you, but you can send it forward! In other words, by living today in light of eternity we can build up an awesome treasure in heaven. That makes it possible for me to let go of ownership–when I realize it can be exchanged for something so much greater!
Great article. Love the stagnant pond idea.It creates a very clear analogy for me. You have probably heard the quote “You can’t take it with you but you can send it on ahead.” Thanks for reminder me of that. Keep up the good work.
Chris, good stuff! Our church is big on challenging us with what we are doing with the resouces God has entrusted us with and reminind us often that we are to be stewards of what we have. I too like the questions, nice to have an opportunity for appplicaiton.
Chris, I have a hard time giving things to god. I am in a very nasty custody battle over my 9 year old son and everyone keeps telling me to “let go and let god” I know it is hard, however, our children also belong to god and its a daily struggle to remember that but your article came at a good time. I continue to pray for the situation and continue to remind myself that when my son was born I gave him to god and he knows everything that is going on.
Julie, I want to commend you on your honesty. The Lord will honor that. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” James 4:10 This is not an easy situation Julie and I cannot fully understand what you are experiencing because I’ve never been through it. But, I do know, that when we turn things over to God (fully), He will accomplish His perfect will and you will have perfect peace. You are right, your son is God’s. I pray that God empowers you by the power of the Holy Spirit to fully trust Him with your son and that the Lord’s will is accomplished in this difficult challenge.
Thank you Chris
Julie, I’m sorry for your situation. I cannot provide any words of encouragement more than others already have, but I would like to thank you for sharing.
You being so strong have given me hope without me having to go through the same test, for I fear I would not have passed.
Thank you for being strong.
We are a very small congregation with a decent bank balance. We have just appointed a full time minister. I am a Sunday School teacher with very little resources. If I want to do anything to incentivise or motivate the children, I must use my own money as I am afraid to ask from the church. All we ever hear is that we need to be able to sustain the ministers income. The church does not even look after the poor. We organise fund raisers to buy groceries for the people. I feel that we are missing the mark here. I think the the church council has lost its focus. My problem is wher is their faith and trust in God. Please these are good people but because the council is prodominantly made up of men, they are reluctant to take a step into faith.
Chris: thanks for the great article on giving. When in high school we were very poor and we received a holiday basket of food from the church. In it I recognized boxes of food from my little Sunday School kids. God taught me not only how to receive (so others have the blessing of giving), but also on the importance of sharing whatever you have with God (it is His anyway). Over the 46yrs we have been married we have never gone w/o and never been able to out give God. Tithe is just the beginning of stewardship. Thanks again for the wise council. Blessings to you and yours.
Most churches only speak of this subject when it serves the purpose of increasing the level of giving for its own purposes. I realize that the Church is to be about the business of the edification of the saints but the way it is usually presented serves its own selfish purposes. When the tabernacle was to be built Moses told the people and the people responded. There was no manipulations of emotions or guilt. On our side it never ceases to amaze me that when we give our lives to Christ we don’t make the connection that He is now our Lord and Savior. The struggle exists that we must look beyond the temporal to the spiritual. Christ as the creator has the ownership of all he creates. He will use it for His purposes and for His glory.