A steward is a person, who manages their wealth and other possessions wisely. God is the owner of all things on earth and ewe should respect him as the overall proprietor. A Christian can practice sound financial stewardship in various ways, according to the will of God. The paper covers ways in which a Christian can practice stewardship based on scriptures. It includes how various people interpret different scriptures. Lastly, the paper includes the lessons learned from the scriptures, which will be summarized into several basic stewardship principles.
Scriptures discussing ways of practicing stewardship
Stewardship can be practiced by giving or tithing faithfully to God as required by both the New and Old Testament. Deuteronomy 12: 4-18 supports the act of giving in the Old Testament. 1st Corinthians 16:2 and Malachi 3:10 are sources of advice to Christians on how they should carry out their tithing. According to the scriptures, various ways of giving a tithe to the Lord include harvest offering, sacrifices, money, and worship among others. Good stewardship can also be practiced by being healthy and productive managers of our possession. For instance, the parable of the Servants in (Luke 12:42-48) and the Parable of the Shrewd Manager in (Luke 16:1-13) teach Christians the need of managing their possession wisely and productively. Matthew 6: 19-24 tells a Christian that they should serve God faithfully; by not placing their hopes on earthly possession but the riches of heaven. Stewardship can also be practiced by giving to others who are in need and contributing to church projects among others. The needy include low-income families, orphans, widowers and widows among others. For instance, from the book of Acts 4: 34-35, people are encouraged to give their possession to the needy. Acts 11:27-30 shows an example where churches help other churches and avoid debts because they are a source of slavery from the lenders (Proverbs 22:7).
Interpretation of Scriptures
Proverbs 22:7 states that the rich rule over the poor, and that borrowers are like servants to lenders. The verse attracts a diverse perception from different people where some feel that debt is against God’s will and terms it a sin. God did not term it a sin rather a bondage or a form of slavery. I do not think debt is a sin because it raises capital for a business and other investments, which later can help in raising more profits by boosting businesses. Christians should involve God by offering a 10% of any incomes that they earn as a tithe to attract blessings from God. However, the main reason for them to give is to honor God’s command. After borrowing, Christians should plan how to pay back to avoid being slaves to the lender, as the scripture terms it a form of slavery. Additionally, the scripture focuses on debt as a source of conflicts among the people, especially, if a defaulter fails to settle their debts in time as agreed. For instance, Jeremiah 15:10 shows how debt can break relationships and cause conflicts.
Malachi 3: 10 talks about bringing full tithes to the house of God. The verse raises some concern on the various forms of tithes that can be offered. In the Old, Testament tithes were in the form of animals, foods among others. In the modern society, most tithes are in the form of money and other offerings. However, some people feel that taking tithes to the church will be befitting the pastors. Others feel that it is good because they are representatives of God on the earth. Tithes should be a 10% of all income or harvests. In 1st Corinthians 16: 2 the scripture says that “upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.” It also teaches believers that they should offer regularly, and failure to give to the Lord is a form of theft. The benefits of tithing is a contradiction of the scripture as well. Some Christians think that it is a way of bribing God to provide for their needs. I believe that people give because they are already blessed; not with the expectation of something in return. The scripture says that our relationship is built when we offer our offerings (Matthew 6:21). Tithing is also termed as investing in eternity (Matthew 6:20). Lastly, God showers us with his blessing when we give unto him (Proverbs 11:25)
1 Chronicles 29:11-12 “Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou reignest over all, and in thine, the hand is power and might, and in thine hand, it is to make great, and to give strength unto all." The verse is misinterpreted in many occasions where people term money as evil and not God’s belonging. I believe that money is a cause of evil on earth as well. However, the scripture states that riches and wealth belong to God thus, proving the theory as wrong. God is the owner of everything in the world, which he created by mouth in 6 days. However, how Christians choose to use their wealth determines their relationship with Him. If they use it to glorify Him, he will bless them, but if they decide to serve their money and wealth, punishment will befall them.
Lessons learned on stewardship in form of principles
1. Stewardship
According to Luke 16: 11, earthly riches and money influence how we build our relationship with our creator as human beings. According to the scriptures, if a Christian can manage money properly, then a close relationship will exist between the individual and God. If not careful, money can take God’s position in a personal life. According to Matthew 6: 24, God should be given priority.
2. God’s part
According to 1st Chronicles 29:11-12, God created and did not transfer ownership to human beings after he created them. Therefore, if a Christian is a sincere follower of Christ, they should let God take charge or control their wealth (Luke 14:33). Additionally, we should manage our possession faithfully, as stewards (1st Corinthians 4:2).
3. Debt
Debt is the act or borrowing money from another individual for a refund. The Bible does not define debt as a sin but discourages people from acquiring debts. When a person has debts, he or she becomes a slave to the lender and has no freedom to use their income (1st Corinthians 7:23). Debt payment boosts the relationship between the lender and the debtor. Therefore, a debtor should establish a payment plan to avoid defaulting.
4. Honesty
According to the Ten Commandments, dishonesty is a way of sinning against God. Therefore, it breaks our relationship with him (Exodus 20: 15-16). It can be in the forms of coveting, stealing, and not giving to God what belongs to him. For Christians to create a good relationship with their creator, they must stay away from forces that lead to dishonesty; give tithes and avoid associating with dishonest people.
5. Tithing
Giving should be done voluntarily and cheerfully because God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7). When Christians give, they get closer to God and enjoy their relationship with him. It is an investment to their eternity as well (Matthew 6:20). Lastly, giving increases their wealth as God pours his blessings upon their lives (2 Corinthians 9:6). Tithes should be a 10% of the income. Paul, the apostle, gave people the guidelines to follow when tithing (1 Corinthians 16:2).
6. Work
God commanded human beings to work to obtain foods and bring prosperity to the universe. It is a responsibility of believers to work to gain their wealth and daily bread (2nd Thessalonians 3: 10b). Working should not prevent Christians from serving God because he gave them six days to work (Exodus 34:21).
7. Investing
8. Perspective of Eternity
A believer should use his or her wealth while on earth by helping others and attending to individual needs. When they die, all earthly possession will be left behind (plasm 49:16-17). Material things enhance lives on earth to live a comfortable life but are not required in heaven.
Bibliography
The Bible
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Christopher, Clif. Not Your Parents' Offering Plate: A New Vision for Financial Stewardship. Abingdon Press, 2015.
Surdyk, Lisa Klein. "God’s economy: Teaching students key biblical principles." Journal of Biblical Integration in Business 8, no. 1 (2002).
