Made to Steward

Stewardship comes from the realization that all we have is on loan. Everything belongs to the Lord. He has entrusted us with what we have for now.

Made to Steward

This week's devotions are written by my friend Jessica Hermann, former director of our college ministry at Great Hills Baptist Church.

- Pastor Danny

I'll never forget the college minister at my church when I was in college. He was so good at taking every opportunity for small moments of discipleship and teaching in everyday life. I benefited so much from these short moments of intentionality as I served as an intern in our college ministry there. I remember one time he took all of the interns over to a church member's house. I think we were there to pick something up for an event we were having. Before we left, he ushered all of us into the church member's garage. The elderly couple had a modest home near the church, and in their garage were rows and rows of perfectly organized things. Everything had a simple label and everything had a place. The things were not new or fancy or flashy. Most of the things were actually quite old and practical. But they were well taken care of. He encouraged us to learn from how this family stewarded what God gave them. They didn't have an abundance of riches or fancy things, but what they did have they took care of and were quick to offer to others who needed anything they had, hence why we were there to borrow some things. This couple understood what it meant to be a good steward.

Stewardship comes from the realization that all we have is on loan. Everything belongs to the Lord, and He has entrusted you with what you have for the time being. This call goes all the way back to Genesis 1. In verse 28, God gives Adam and Eve what is often referred to as the creation mandate or the cultural mandate: "And God blessed them. And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth." (Genesis 1:28)

The part of this verse that most people remember is "be fruitful and multiply," but the call to subdue the earth and to exercise dominion over it is just as important. God called mankind to be stewards of the earth. We do this best when we view all that we see around us as part of a holy task that we are called by God to manage and use wisely in this life. Since it is one of the first commands given to Adam and Eve, it is safe to say that this is one of the reasons God made us, not because He needed someone to care for His creation, but because He lovingly gave us this fulfilling task. When you survey your home, no matter how messy, having the mindset that God has called you to steward all that you see can help you to shift your focus from seeing these things as burdensome or as merely just stuff to viewing it through spiritual eyes and taking up this holy task to steward it well as God has called you to.

Consider these questions today:

Since God has made you to be a steward of His creation, how can you utilize something that God has given you today for His glory?
What is something in your life that you know you could be a better steward of?