"Honoring Our Past, Building Our Future"

The Definitions of Stewardship

The meaning of stewardship has been debated for quite some time with definitions surrounding time spent focusing on the Lord, building relationships with others and using the gifts God has given. The meaning of Christian stewardship has focused many times on tithing, but this is not the priority definition when discussing the subject. The priorities involved are how time is spent, how relationships are retained, and then how money is spent. There are a lot of things that have to do with this responsibility that many people have never been aware of. Most agree that a good idea is to spend time studying ways to become a responsible Christian. The Lord gives a few thoughts on the subject in the Bible, but those who were good stewards, were incredibly blessed. The meaning involves how the precious gifts that God has given to all are used and cared for. The good steward is someone who is doing the best he can with the things that God has given him. The reality shows up in how a person reacts in situations and how much they are willing to sacrifice to retain their responsibility.  

"And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light." (Luke 16:18) The Lord calls all to be good stewards in everything that is done. This is why it is so important to honor God with time, relationships, and money.

Excerpt from www.Christianet.com.

For most of us stewardship is a learned behavior. Our intentions are good but sometimes the reality of life gets in the way of doing the "right" things and we lose our focus on what is most important. My learning about stewardship came from watching the actions of my great-grandparents. They were Southern Baptist whose strong belief in God and active participation in church was passed on and practiced by their children and their children's children. They were fully committed to their church and what I remember most was how well known they were to their church family and community not because of their financial contributions but because of their commitment to service. Their financial means were limited but they understood that their ability to participate in the various service activities was as just as important to the growth of their church. In addition to regular attendance at Sunday service their spiritual nourishment came through daily prayer, weekly bible study and summer revivals. Their belief was that Sunday was the Lord's Day and in their household Sunday was reserved as a day of prayer, reflection and family interaction.

As their heirs have grown into adulthood we have become a multi-denominational family. We are Southern Baptist, Baptist, Methodist, Episcopalian, Catholic, Pentecostal and Jehovah Witness. Through the years and generations the "strictness' of Sunday activity has loosened up but there are some things that never change:

1) Sunday is a day for worship no matter how late you stayed out the night before and although it is ok to participate in a live streaming of church service personal attendance is preferred.

2) Regardless of your financial means your commitment needs to include your time and talent.There are lots of activities that occur to keep the church operating and using your time and talent can have a positive financial impact for the church by using your skills to meet a need.

The world is more complex now than it was during my great grandparent's time. We are pulled in so many different directions and get lost in understanding the basic principles of life; God & Family first. It is sometimes easy to hear the call for assistance and say someone else will handle it but consider doing something different in 2012. Consider not only your financial contribution but also how your time and talent can be utilized to enhance your spiritual growth and relationships with your church family.

Submitted by: Linda McMurray