The Responsibilities of The Believer - To Be a Good Steward
As believers in Christ, we have been entrusted with many gifts and resources from God. These may include our time, talents, finances, relationships, and even our physical health. As good stewards, it is our responsibility to use these resources in a way that honors God and advances His kingdom.
The Bible teaches us that everything we have comes from God and belongs to Him. Psalm 24:1(AMPC) says, "THE EARTH is the Lord's, and the fullness of it, the world and they who dwell in it." Therefore, we should not use our resources solely for our own personal gain or pleasure. Rather, we should seek to use them to serve others and bring glory to God.
One way to be a good steward of our time is to prioritize our relationship with God. This means spending time in prayer, Bible study, and fellowship with other believers. It also means using our time to serve others, whether through volunteering, mentoring, or simply being present for those in need.
Being a good steward of our talents means using our God-given abilities to serve others and bring glory to God. This may include using our skills in our careers or hobbies to benefit others or using our talents in the Church to help build up the body of Christ.
Another aspect of being a good steward is managing our finances in a way that honors God. This means tithing regularly to our local church and giving to those in need. We should also be mindful of how we spend our money, making sure that we are not wasting it on frivolous or selfish pursuits.
Ultimately, being a good steward is about recognizing that everything we have comes from God and using it in a way that honors Him. In doing so, we can be confident that our resources are being used for eternal purposes and that we are fulfilling our responsibility as believers in Christ.
In the Parable of the Talents, Jesus teaches about the importance of being a good steward of the resources that God has given us. The parable tells the story of a master who gives his servants varying amounts of money, and then goes away on a journey. Upon his return, he asks each servant what they did with the money he entrusted to them. The servants who used their money to invest and make a profit were praised and rewarded, while the one who buried his money was rebuked and punished. This is found in Matthew 25:14-30 (AMPC) “For it is like a man who was about to take a long journey, and he called his servants together and entrusted them with his property. To one he gave five talents [probably about $5,000], to another two, to another one–to each in proportion to his own personal ability. Then he departed and left the country. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he gained five talents more. And likewise he who had received the two talents–he also gained two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came and brought him five more, saying, Master, you entrusted to me five talents; see, here I have gained five talents more. His master said to him, Well done, you upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the blessedness) which your master enjoys. And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, Master, you entrusted two talents to me; here I have gained two talents more. His master said to him, Well done, you upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the blessedness) which your master enjoys. He who had received one talent also came forward, saying, Master, I knew you to be a harsh and hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you had not winnowed [the grain]. So I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is your own. But his master answered him, You wicked and lazy and idle servant! Did you indeed know that I reap where I have not sowed and gather [grain] where I have not winnowed? Then you should have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent away from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will be furnished richly so that he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have will be taken away. And throw the good-for-nothing servant into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.”
Similarly, in 1 Corinthians 4:2 (AMPC), the Apostle Paul tells us that "Moreover, it is [essentially] required of stewards that a man should be found faithful [proving himself worthy of trust]. We are called to be faithful in using all that God has given us for His glory and for the benefit of others.”
In conclusion, as believers in Christ, we have a responsibility to be good stewards of all that God has given us. This means using our time, talents, and resources in a way that honors God and advances His kingdom. We should be mindful of our priorities, using our resources to serve others and bring glory to God. By doing so, we can fulfill our responsibility as believers and be confident that our resources are being used for eternal purposes.
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