God has made us stewards for His kingdom. But what does He expect from us? This devotion looks at how we are to be trustworthy in God’s sight in carrying out our ministries for Him.
Nuggets
- Paul advised us to consider ourselves ministers and stewards.
- We shouldn’t build on a foundation of human wisdom and possessions.
- We have to make choices based on the character of God.
- Our goal for speaking should be that God is glorified.
Expectations of a Steward
Stewards Who Are Ready
A Steward Gone Bad
God has given us much in order for us to be stewards. We are to be stewards of ourselves, including our health. We are stewards of our reputations, as that leads to the influence we have on those to whom we are witnessing. He has also made us stewards of material possessions.
Most importantly, God has made us stewards of His kingdom here on earth. We have important jobs to complete for the expansion of His kingdom.
Because of that role, God has expectations of us. Let’s discuss what those are.
Let's Put It into Context
According to the Holman Bible Dictionary, stewardship is “utilizing and managing all resources God provides for the glory of God and the betterment of His creation.”
Resource
A steward is a person in a subordinate position to God who has been given the responsibility to manage a skill or possession for the purpose of expanding His kingdom.
Stewards of the Mysteries of God
“Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy” (I Cor. 4: 1-2 NASB)
Paul had been talking to the Corinthians about building a solid foundation. He knew this was important, so he told them, “But each one is to be careful how he builds on it” (I Cor. 3: 10 CSB). We have to have Jesus as the foundation.
We shouldn’t build on a foundation of human wisdom and possessions. Things of this world are fleeting.
Instead, Paul advised us to consider ourselves ministers and stewards.
Oh, yes. We all have a ministry. We all have a purpose in God’s kingdom. We have been given gifts to use to expand that kingdom.
Does verse 2 say we have to be perfect? Does it even say we have to be doing a bang up job?
No. It says we have to be trustworthy. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the synonyms of trustworthy are
- calculable
- dependable
- reliable
- responsible
- steady
- sure
That really encouraged me. It is okay if not every one of my devotions are a great literary work. I won’t publish one that I think is just horrible, but I may think they just miss in some ways. I may think I wish I could have said something better.
But I am called to be obedient in posting. I am called to be faithful. I am called to be trustworthy.
God may use what I have written specifically for one person. He takes it from my keyboard to your heart. God makes the words speak to you, not me.
Robertson made an interesting comment. He wrote, “Men seem to look on the ministry as an institution intended for their comfort, for their gratification, nay, even for their pastime. In this way the preaching of the gospel seems to be something like a lecture, professional or popular; a free arena for light discussion and flippant criticism.”
Ooo, baby. Ouch.
How many times do we seek God just for ourselves? (Hence the “oh, I don’t have a ministry!”)
We make it about us. I have to have these many followers. I want this many sessions and page views. I need this many likes or comments.
No. It is about God taking these words He has given me and speaking to Your heart while the Holy Spirit tells you, “Listen. Remember when … You can apply it ….”
Oh, yes. We have to grow. We don’t want to remain milk babies the rest of our lives.
But our job description says we have to proclaim God’s gospel and make disciples. We have to do what He has assigned to us to expand His kingdom. It isn’t just about what God does for us.
The Disciple’s Job Description
Complete Job Description
Individual Description
Job Duty #4
Proclaim the Gospel (Mark 16: 15)
Job Duty #6
Make Disciples (Matthew 28: 19-20)
Another thing this passage is telling me is that our character matters. We are servants of Christ. We need to be imitating Him.
If I am thinking I am just a minister of my church or my company, I missed the boat. I am a minister of God.
I have to act like it. You do, too. Thomas wrote, “The true servant of Christ will feel and act as the moral leader and commander of the people.”
We also must be faithful. We need to be committed to whatever God calls us to do. We can’t hold out until a better — or easier — mission is given to us. We have to complete the tasks He assigns.
I hear you. The “… stewards of the mysteries of God” (I Cor. 4: 1 CSB) part holds us back. How are we ever going to understand that?
Thomas has an interesting take on that. He wrote, “The gospel is a mystery not in the sense of incomprehensibility, but in the sense of progressive unfoldment.”
Ooo, baby. How does that impact our “but I don’t understand” whine?
It isn’t because we can’t understand it. It is about we aren’t to that level yet. It is going to take the Holy Spirit to explain them to us.
We are expected to do the job God has called us to do and be all the things in the synonym list. Thomas would have added the word independent to it. We have to follow God’s call, even when we are judged by worldview people.
Do’s and Don’ts
“For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain” (Ti. 1: 7 ESV)
Now, Paul’s directions for Titus were for church leaders. However, when we are witnessing to someone, they are seeing us as a church official. So, it would do us well to consider these as expectations for us.
Paul advised us to be beyond reproach. Why should we strive to meet that level of expectations? Well, we are trying to imitate God. We should be wanting to do the best we can.
It is kind of like the Peter Parker Principle. With great power comes great responsibility.
What? You don’t think we have power????
“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Mt. 16: 19 ESV).
But what does that mean? Cox saw binding as prohibiting and loosing as permitting. It gives us the ability to determine right and wrong.
No, it does not give us the ability to rewrite Scriptures or God’s laws and commandments. We can’t make homosexuality not a sin.
I read this to mean that we are going to be able to discharge the responsibilities of our position. Remember, we are a steward, so we are subordinate to God.
But we have choices to make within that. We have to make those choices based on the character of God.
We don’t want to be labeled as a difficult person. Oh, yes. Worldview people will probably label us difficult when we refuse to compromise on God’s laws and commandments.
We can stick to our guns without rolling over people. We don’t want the self-conceit that goes with arrogance.
Paul gave us a couple of areas to make sure we watch. We shouldn’t be arrogance, quick-tempered, drunk, violent, and greedy.
The obvious reason Paul highlighted those were they are so not God’s character. They can quickly turn the person to whom we are witnessing away from God.
All also have the capacity to make us lose control. God wants that control firmly in His hands.
Remember Our Purpose
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies — in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (I Pet. 4: 10-11 ESV)
See. See. We each have received a gift. That means we will be held accountable for using it for God’s glory.
That gift is to be used for God’s gain, not ours. It is to be used so other can gain.
But what is “whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God …” (I Pet. 4: 10-11 ESV)?
Leighton states that means we have to learn it before we teach it. I am not supposed to tell you the Gospel According to Elaine. I am supposed to tell you the Gospel According to God.
We have to speak in a manner with which God would be pleased. Our goal for speaking should be that God is glorified.
Making the Connections to Self-Discipline
We’ve been looking at defending our beliefs when we are witnessing. That means we have to be secure enough to convince someone to accept our beliefs.
Our questions should still serve us to determine on what we need to focus.
- What does the Scriptures say?
- What do I believe?
- Why do I believe the same/differently than the Scriptures?
- What are the talking points when witnessing to a non-believer?
Related Links
I have created a worksheet of the questions above. Click on the button below to access it.
How Do We Apply This?
- We must be faithful.
- We need to be working as God wants us to be working.
- We need to watch for what is God calling us to do.
- We will be accountable for what we do.
- We need to meditate on how God calls us.
Father. You have called us to be responsible for leading others to You. Help us to show them Your love for them. Amen.
What do you think?
Leave me a comment below (about this or anything else) or head over to my Facebook group for some interactive discussion.
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