Daily Friendship with God #22 Stewardship
As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1 Peter 4:10)
In this we see 1) that God has given each of His children a gift 2) The gift is to be used for serving others and 3) It is the many aspects of God gracious favor towards us that calls us to good stewardship of the gift.
I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God (Colossians 1:2)
The word stewardship in first Peter and Colossians 1 has some of the following meanings. The management of a household or of household affairs. specifically, the management, oversight, administration, of other's property. The head of the house or proprietor has entrusted the management of his affairs.
In the following context it applies to the House of God as noted in 1 Timothy
I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. (1 Timothy 3:15) and also is noted in 1 Peter 4:17
The word House means: the house of God, the tabernacle or a dwelling place, any dwelling place.
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?... For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17b)
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? (1 Corinthians 6:19)
God has chosen to live within us.
who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. (2 Corinthians 1:22)
…the Spirit of God dwells in you.. (Romans 8:9b)… His Spirit who dwells in you.(Romans 8:11c)
To summarize God in His many faceted wisdom describes those that gather together individually and corporately the Church. He lives/dwells in the individuals bodies, who make up the corporate group and both are known as the Church. Those that are the leaders of the corporate Church are called to the management of the corporate Church. In addition each member of the corporate Church is called to steward their life. Those that are in stewardship of the corporate Church are to manage the things of the House of God on both the corporate and individual levels.
So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. (Romans 14:12)
And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. (Luke 12:43-44)
The way to become a faithful and wise steward is to first be a faithful and wise servant. The same principle is noted in Luke 19
He said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’( Luke 19:17)
God speaks to many areas of stewardship in the life of those that follow Jesus. Some are Money 1 Timothy 6, Sexuality 1 Corinthians 6, Faithfulness and wisdom Luke 12, Giving 2 Corinthians 9, business Luke 19. In Luke 19 the servant that is faithful and wise becomes the steward. This is because his actions in being a servant demonstrated the character of a steward (leader). This same principles are noted in the life of Joseph in the book of Genesis.
The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority. So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, (Genesis 39:2-5)
Joseph as a servant managed His sexual life in being faithful to God.
But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside. ( Genesis 39:11-12)
Joseph was faithful in representing God to Pharaoh.
And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.” So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” (Genesis 41:15-16)
Joseph wisdom promoted him to become a steward/overseer
And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”( Genesis 41:38-41)
Joseph’s wise stewardship put him into the place of being the head overseer of finances.
Then Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, do.” The famine was over all the face of the earth, and Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians. And the famine became severe in the land of Egypt. So all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all lands. (Genesis 41:55-57)
Joseph’s stewardship made him into a steward over other steward
When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, Joseph said to the steward of his house (Genesis 42:6)
Joseph as a faithful and wise steward was a minister of forgiveness and grace even when his brothers had betrayed him and sold him into slavery
Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him. (Genesis 43:4b-5,15)
All of God’s followers are called to be stewards of God and all are called to be servants of the grace of God as noted in 1 Peter 4:10. Though they are leaders that have authority they are also under authority. First and foremost in their personal life and as a result the manifestation of that is also noted in their public life. This is a perfect time to talk to God about the many aspects of stewardship to discover what He wants to show you about the stewardship He as for you.