Be a good steward

Have you ever thought that in the whole scope of life we are just stewards? The biblical view of a steward is defined as: “Being a servant of God, utilizing and managing all resources God provides to honor Him and for the betterment of His creation.”

In the process you will be blessed as well. But remember, as stewards those things we possess are not really ours. As the saying goes, “everything that’s yours, when you leave this world take all your possessions with you.”

Earthly possessions are temporary, but the soul of man is eternal. If ever there were a time for good stewards, now is the time.

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells a parable that explains what the Kingdom of Heaven requires. A man travelling to a far country left his servants in charge of his property. According to each one’s ability, he left one servant five talents, to another, two, and to another, one.

Now in a due season, the master returned to those servants to settle his accounts with them. He was very pleased with the first two as they doubled the talents he had left to them. He said, “Well done, good and faithful servants. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” Now the servant who had the one talent chose not to invest it for fear of losing it. He said to his master that he was afraid and hid the talent in the ground. The master answered, “You should have invested my money with the bankers, and it would have gained interest”. The master, then, took that one talent and gave it to the one who had 10 talents.

The master was making the point that those who use their talents shall profit and have an abundance, but those who do not use their talents will lose what they have. Even worst than that, the master viewed this servant as worthless and cast him into outer darkness, a place where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

In this parable, it is obvious that the talents were money that the master wanted his servants to invest for profit. As for us, I suggest it is God commanding us to use our physical, mental, and spiritual gifts to make for a better life for those around us and to bring glory to the Kingdom of God. We must be careful to be good stewards. It is rarely spoken today, but I still believe that there is a heaven to gain and a hell to avoid.

Be careful of the choices you make, the lifestyle you choose to live for we will certainly have to give an account for it one day. Remember, Jesus’ summary of the commandments. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

People are hurting, some are sick physically and mentally, others are homeless and some have lost their jobs and need employment.

Whenever and wherever we can, let us strive to make a difference in someone’s life who needs help. We must be prayerful and use godly wisdom and strive to make a difference in someone else’s life.

Let us be selfless and not selfish. Let us strive to be a light in darkness.

It will surely be our pathway to eternal life with God, the Lord of all creation.