by Avery Wallis
1 Peter 4:10
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace
All of the money you make in a lifetime will never belong to you. It belongs to God. Psalm 24:1 says “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.” God is creator and Lord of all creation and blesses us with gifts. God calls us to be stewards of the gifts (i.e. money, time, etc.) He gives us.
Basic Principles of Stewardship
What does the word stewardship mean? According to Merriam-Webster, stewardship is “the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care”. We are called to carefully and responsibly manage the money and resources God has given us. What we do with our money can be classified in three basic categories: spending, saving, and giving. Buying groceries is spending. Putting money in the bank for college is saving. Donating to a charity is giving. Finding balance in all of these things with your money is good stewardship.
Biblical Principles of Stewardship
One big problem many people have with money is a false sense of ownership. First Corinthians 10:26 says “For the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” Most people believe it is their right to do whatever they want with what God gave them. Denying that idea of God owning all that you have does not change the fact that He does in fact own it.
The Bible specifically says that God is in control of our lives and that money is a gift from God. The sooner you accept this fact, the sooner you can start to become a good steward. We should find joy in being a steward of God! Deuteronomy 8:17-18 says “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirm His covenant, which He swore to your ancestors, as it is today.” The Lord will bless those who are faithful to Him.
I have often said that if I got a million dollars that I would give a lot of it to my church. By doing so I thank God for blessing me with this money. We must remember that we are to be faithful over little before we are faithful in much. As a teen myself, I know that it is hard to give to God during a time when I am learning how to pay for stuff like a car, food, and insurance while only doing part time work. But the amount we give is not what God cares about. God loves the heart behind what we give.
But the amount we give is not what God cares about. God loves the heart behind what we give.
Consider in Luke 21:1-4 the story of the poor widow: “Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, ‘Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.’”
Your Work Ethic Displays Your Stewardship
Colossians 3:24-25 says “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” When we work, we should work as if we are doing it for God! Would God be happy with a job we do in which we put in minimal effort? I think not. What is this inheritance mentioned in this verse? Is it a huge mansion, fancy clothes, and a Lamborghini? This inheritance is greater than all the treasures of this earth by far, an inheritance that is eternal: the kingdom of heaven. If we are faithful to God and if we live and work in a way that gives Him glory, we will hear the words Well done my good and faithful servant. This world is not our home but God put us here for a reason and we should give Him glory by the way we work.
A lot of people think they do not make enough money to give any away. Do you want to know the secret to being a generous person? The secret to being a generous person is making giving a priority. Leviticus 27:30 says “Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord.” The word “tithe” translated into Hebrew means “ma’aser” or “ten”. We are called as Christians to give ten percent of all we make to the church.
We should not tithe begrudgingly. We should happily tithe because God tells us to. Matthew 6:3-4 says “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” You should give because it is the right thing to do, not because people are looking. Giving to impress someone is not the reason we should give; and it certainly does not impress God. Being a good steward is not about giving all of our money away to the poor. It is being faithful and managing the money God has let us have in a way that will please Him. Giving money to those who are less fortunate is just one factor in being a good steward.
Beginning Stewardship Now
In the end, my hope is to draw awareness to my two main audiences. Parents: It is your God given duty to prepare your teen for adulthood and Biblical financial principles will give them a better understanding on how to wisely use money. Teens: God will bless those who are faithful to Him. Put your trust in Him and glorify Him through the way you use money and do this for all the days of your life.
Matthew 6:20
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal article together but also inspires readers to engage further.
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