Faithful Stewardship by Tasha Calvert
“This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy” (1 Corinthians 4:1-2).
I watched a video recently of a man on a crowded subway, standing in the middle of the train car. In his arms was what appeared to be a small baby wrapped in a blanket, cradled and bounced gingerly by the man. Seconds into the video, a woman stood to offer the man her seat, which he accepted. Much to the disdain of surrounding commuters, the man then unwrapped the blanket to reveal his work bag, keys, and phone.
Each and every day we steward things. We steward our time, our money, our talents, our voices, our families, our jobs—and yes—even our integrity, like the man on the train. We know stewardship is important to God because it is a principle that shows up early in scripture and is repeated throughout. Genesis 1:28 contains one of the earliest examples: “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.’” You may not see the word “stewardship” in that verse, but it’s described in the call to steward our physical bodies in filling the earth and to use our time, energy, and minds toward subduing and ruling over the earth. Our culture may scream, “I get to decide who I am,” but our Creator affirms, “you are made in My image for My purpose.” Faithful stewardship of our physical lives should be our response. (In case you question whether physical stewardship is still a “thing,” check out Romans 12:1, where we are called to “present []our bodies as a living sacrifice.”)
Stewardship doesn’t end with our person-hood, though; it extends to our livelihood. Proverbs 3:9 says, “honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce.” Generous stewardship with our finances is a gift to the body of Christ and a personal blessing to us. Financial stewardship is an exercise in gratitude and participation toward all God is doing in our lives. 2 Corinthians 9:11 says it like this: “You will be enriched in every way for all your generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.”
What drives home stewardship for me, however, is recognizing how much I’ve been given. Paul, speaking to the church in Macedonia said, “but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts” (1 Thessalonians 2:4). No matter how dire our earthly circumstances, we who are in Christ have been entrusted with the radiant, life-changing, hope-giving, transformational message of the Gospel!
Just like the man on the train, as followers of Christ, we are being observed by those around us. And sometimes, just like the witnesses on that subway, onlookers encounter us in personal ways. When the blanket we’re holding is peeled back, will they find we have stewarded our lives with integrity?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I can do nothing apart from you. Thank you for entrusting me with the Gospel. Lead me to make good stewardship decisions. Guide me in your truth. Let me radiate your goodness as I steward all I’ve been given in service to you.
Dig Deeper: Journal what you learn about stewardship in Matthew 25:14-30.
Discussion Questions:
1. In which areas of my life am I intentionally stewarding what God has entrusted to me?
2. What are two ways I can be a better steward?
About Tasha Calvert
Tasha Calvert is an author, speaker, and host of "Digging In with Tasha Calvert" podcast. Her passion is to equip women to study their Bibles and pursue Biblical comprehension. You can find her Bible studies on Right Now Media and YouTube. She and her husband, Robert, have been married for 26 years and live in Frisco, Texas. They have 4 incredible daughters and 2 son-in-laws...almost.
