In general, terms of what stewardship means to people may not always be the same. Everyone may look at it differently.
Stewardship refers to the responsible management and protection of something, especially natural resources, assets or financial resources, for future generations. It involves taking care of and preserving something of value and ensuring its sustainable use. Stewardship can be applied to both personal and organizational contexts and emphasizes ethical and sustainable practices.
But in the Bible, stewardship means so much more.
So, let’s take a closer look at what stewardship means in the written word and who is one of the most important stewards in Biblical history.
What Biblical Stewardship Means
When it comes to Bible stewardship, many reference Charles Bugg’s definition. In the Holman Bible
Dictionary, he defines Christian stewardship as the “responsibility Christians have to responsibly manage and make use of the gifts that God has given them.”
The Christian steward is also accountable for the spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit bestows. In the processes of creation, redemption and sanctification, God wants humans to serve as His stewards.
Why is Stewardship Important?
The fact of the matter is that stewardship has almost nothing to do with money and/or riches. Stewardship exists even without material things.
Christians portray God in many different ways. In other words, every time we interact with the world around us, we are doing so on someone else's behalf (God’s). It turns out that one of the key components of being an excellent steward, particularly when viewed through the perspective of the Bible, is a life lived closely with Christ.
Who Displays Stewardship in The Bible?
The person who best exemplifies what stewardship looks like in the Bible is Joseph. His story is in
Genesis.
In Genesis 39, Joseph was able to show his betraying brothers repentance, kindness and "the best of the country of Egypt.” Joseph administered (stewarded) the abilities, skills and resources God granted him with perfection and fidelity, knowing the Lord was with him.
In turn, he gained the respect of powerful people because of his own principles, restraint, compassion and sense of purpose. But much more crucially, God considered him trustworthy and regularly rewarded his leadership.
Bible Verses That Reference What Stewardship Means
Perhaps the best way to understand what stewardship means in the context of the Bible is to see some of the ways it’s illustrated in the good book.
The best example of this might be 1 Peter 4:10 - “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.” The message here is to be kind to others by sharing the gifts God has given you so that everyone might benefit.
You’ll find another good example of what stewardship means in the Bible in a verse from 2 Corinthians
9:6-7. The verse reads like this: “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
The message is that a frugal planter will yield a frugal crop, but a rich planter will yield a luxurious harvest. God wants us all to decide how much we will contribute. God appreciates it when the giver delights in the giving.
The Benefits of Stewardship - Being a Good and Faithful Servant
There are times when practicing Christian stewardship produces results on the inside, even if many of the benefits of being good stewards are visible to other people (such as assisting the poor, giving to charity, protecting the environment, etc.).
Other benefits of stewardship include:
- Helping us to lose the notion that we possess things
- It helps to make us better people
- Increases our capacity and willingness to assist others
Stewardship points us in the direction of God.
You’re a Steward with Liberty HealthShare
When you’re part of a medical cost-sharing program such as Liberty HealthShare, you become a steward. Liberty HealthShare is not insurance, but rather, it’s an alternative way for you and your Christian brothers and sisters to help each other by sharing each other’s burdens.
Our time-tested healthsharing programs make it easy to budget for medical costs. If you’d like to learn more about our programs and how good they can make you feel, contact us today. Discover the power of sharing.
