The first time I got a practical understanding of what it meant to be a good steward was from Dave Ramsey’s book, “The Legacy Journey.” He had this (amongst many other nuggets of wisdom) to say about stewardship:

“At its core, the spirit of gratitude says, God, I’m going to manage this wealth and stuff Your way — because it’s Yours. Thank you for trusting me to manage it for you.” 

The rest of the book covers so many paradigm-shifting topics on wealth, work, and how it intersects with what the Word says but what I walked away with was just having this concept of being a diligent and faithful manager to the things I’ve been blessed with. How can I be a good steward of not just my finances but also my time and talents? 

As I shared last year, I had gotten to a pretty toxic point in my view of success. I had felt like a failure knowing I was so far from the expectations I had set for myself when I turned 30. The breaking point came when I finally released my pride and allowed God to be my true Lord and Savior. The phrase for the rest of that year was simple but powerful — “the end of myself is the beginning of You.” 

Fast forward a year, it’s been amazing to see the new thoughts, habits, and overall transformation that’s come to my career and to a greater extent, my view on success. 

If Step One was to just submit and come to an understanding that I get to be a vessel for what the Lord wants to do in and through my life, Step Two would be to understand what it means to be a faithful steward. 

Vessel – more about the Who (the glory isn’t for me, it’s for you Lord) and the Why (to be a vessel, to bless and love on others through what you’ve been given me). 

Steward – more about the What (how can I steward all the blessings you’ve given me well? And the How (How can I maximize it so I can receive more and give more?). 

Comparison is a losing game here in the Valley. There will always be someone more successful, more wealthy with flashier cars, clothes, and vacations, from better schools, better degrees, and greater ability to move up career ladders, start businesses and self-promote. It’s taken some work (and will continue to take work for years to come!) to get to a healthy point of responding to these feelings with true gratitude and contentment. Part of that work is also seeing myself as a steward of the opportunities, gifts, and other resources God has asked me to manage. 

Last night, Noelle and I were reading through Matthew 25:14-30 about the Parable of the Talents. Wow! What a great illustration of what it means to be a good steward and the good things that can flow through you when you manage it well. The part of the parable that stood out the most for me was down in verse 23. 

“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 

What’s powerful here was seeing the same exact response that the Master gave to both the servant with two talents and the one with five. It was the same reward! The reward was based on faithfulness, not results. 

Are you seeing what I’m seeing? 

One more for you piece of scripture for you. 

Backtrack to Matthew 20:15-16. Jesus is sharing another parable about laborers and getting what’s fair for their work. 

“Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity? So the last will be and the first last.”

To further quote my footnotes, it says “In other words, everyone finishes in a dead heat. No matter how long each of the workers worked, they each received a full day’s wage. Similarly, the thief on the cross will enjoy the full blessings of heaven alongside those who have labored their whole lives for Christ. Such is the grace of God.”

Let’s give that a minute to rest and settle in. 

Talk about relief. That’s brought me so much peace knowing that it’s not so much about the results, then it is about the process. How faithful was I utilizing this incredible career in recruiting to serve and advance his Kingdom? How faithful was I in managing the finances and time I’ve been given each day? 

The object and source of all I have and all that I am are the same. From the very air that I breathe to the checks that I earn are all but a gift. My job isn’t to be concerned about how many MORE gifts I can earn for myself but to steward the ones I already have well. 

Of course, it’s never going to be perfect. I’m going to mess up and make the wrong decisions. I’m going to have times where I misuse what I’ve been blessed with but thank God I have His grace to carry me through to the end. 

This understanding gives me ownership of knowing I have something incredible to manage and manage well. Each morning, I have a new start to make wise decisions in how I steward my time, talents, and finances which over time, I can expect in faith that it will lead to something great that will glorify the Lord. 

My Dad always tells me, “Albert, God gave us all 24 hours in a day. It’s up to us on how we use that time.” I used to get anxious about that quote feeling like I hadn’t done enough in my day. These days, it feels different. I’m grateful that I even had 24 hours to do what I could, with all that He’s blessed me with and believing in faith that was enough. 

So to end, I’ll ask the same question to you that I’ve been asking myself each morning now: 

How can I be a good steward of the things God’s given me today?