We live in a throw-away society. We have been blessed with an abundance of things and opportunities, yet we squander them, never realizing that we are throwing away the blessings of God. A steward is someone who has been entrusted with something. We have been entrusted with the resources we have, by God. I believe we will give an account for how we use all that God has given us.
In America, being wasteful is a common sin. We take too much food on our plates, we can’t eat it all, and we throw it away. Our children don’t like what we prepare for the family meal, so we throw it away and make them something different. Could it be they learn that from us? We’ve all been guilty of opening the fridge, and if we don’t like what we see, or we are too lazy to cook, we go out to eat. Something doesn’t work the way it did when it was new, so we throw it away instead of trying to fix it. We allow our children to leave their toys out where they will be destroyed or lost, and if that happens, we buy them a new one. The Bible has much to say about being wasteful, and we need to take note and realize that being wasteful is a sin.
So many people live way beyond their means. This is caused by their desires for things they can’t afford. They desire to have things God didn’t intend for them to have, at this point in their lives. Your resources are a gift from God, and He intends for you to use them wisely.
The prodigal son was a great example of someone who wanted it all, now! He wanted to live as he desired. He asks his dad for his inheritance and leaves. The Bible tells us he wasted his money on riotous living. This riotous living brought him lower than he had ever been, both financially and mentally. He was given a job, feeding pigs for survival. For a Jew, this was a job that brought shame. They were considered unclean, and no respectable Jew would go near them. Because of his wasteful living, he was now in the hog pen. Many live spending all that they have. They live in a vicious circle, make, spend, need, then borrow. This lifestyle leads to their money controlling them, instead of them controlling their money. After a time, they find themselves just like the prodigal, needing the necessities, but nothing left because of their spending habits.
Luke 15:13-16 “And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.”
The first principle of being a good steward of our money is to give a tithe and an offering. God must come first. He commands this in Leviticus 27:30-32 and Malachi 3:8-10. All that we have is a gift from Him. Malachi says when we do not tithe, we are robbing God, then he gives us the benefit and consequences of tithing or robbing God.
Malachi 3:8-10 “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now wherewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”
In Matthew 25:23-30, Jesus tells the story of those who have been given stewardship over a certain amount of money. One man was given 5 talents, another 2, and another 1 talent. The value today of a gold talent would be approximately $1,400,116.57, if it were silver it would be about $16,500.00. The ones receiving 5 and 2 talents, invested theirs wisely. When he returned, they were able to give him the return on his money. His response was well done you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many. The man who received 1 did nothing with his money. He hoarded it back and had no profit to offer when the master returned. To this man, a condemnation came, and he was considered an unprofitable servant.
All that we have is a gift from God. He has allowed us to have it, so we can give it back to Him. The tithe is a standard, but we are to go beyond the tithe, as an indication of our gratefulness for God’s gifts to us.
Think back to your last paycheck. What happened to that money? Is there anything of importance to the kingdom to show for it? What profitable things could be done with your money if you did not spend frivolously? How much more could you have to offer the Lord if you were wise in your spending, looking, and finding ways to cut costs?
Being a wise steward is crucial to God’s word going forth. He uses simple people like you and me to send missionaries around the world. It takes God’s people to be wise stewards to make this happen. I wonder how many more people would now be in the kingdom if each Christian denied themselves just a few frills for the kingdom’s sake?
