The Simplicity of Stewardship Series
If you follow us on Instagram or receive our weekly emails, you have heard about a series we are starting this week called Stewardship. A series to help us as women of God, better become better stewards in our relationship with Christ, the Word of God, marriage, parenting, finances, our home, and more! So before we begin to dive in, today’s post will be on the foundation and meaning of stewardship and the structure of the series.
The meaning of stewardship. What does it even mean and how is it biblical?
Stewardship is indeed biblical. It is the call to being wise with what we have been given whether its marriage, kids, career, money, our home, our day, even our time spent with the Lord.
Let’s look at the definition of stewardship.
Merriam Webster defines stewardship as this: 1: the office, duties, and obligations of a steward 2: the conducting, supervising, or managing of something especially : the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care
So let’s look further. What does steward mean?
Merriam Webster defines steward in this way: 1: one employed in a large household or estate to manage domestic concerns (such as the supervision of servants, collection of rents, and keeping of accounts)
2: SHOP STEWARD
3: a fiscal agent
4a: an employee on a ship, airplane, bus, or train who manages the provisioning of food and attends passengers b: one appointed to supervise the provision and distribution of food and drink in an institution
5: one who actively directs affairs : MANAGER
Now let’s look at what scripture tells us on the meaning of being a steward.
Being a steward is what God calls us to do, faithfully, in what He has given us. We are not in control of things, but are faithful managers of what He has given us. Not to boss around but to faithfully serve, direct, and place under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. We are not to manipulate but to serve others as Christ came to serve others, not to be served, Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45, John 13:1-17.
GotQuestions.org mentions our stewardship in this way:
“Stewardship defines our practical obedience in the administration of everything under our control, everything entrusted to us. Stewardship acknowledges in practice that we do not have the right of control over ourselves or our property—God has that control. It means as stewards of God we are managers of that which belongs to God, and we are under His constant authority as we administer His affairs. Faithful stewardship means that we fully acknowledge we are not our own but belong to Christ, the Lord, who gave Himself for us.”
Being a steward of what God has given us is a gift given that needs to be stewarded well.
Have you found yourself doubting your marriage? Doubting whom you married? Wanting him changed? Wishing things that you probably shouldn’t? Or not spending a great amount of time with your spouse because you have fallen behind on other things?
Maybe you found yourself doubting your parenting, doubting if you should have kids or if you do, if you are the right parent for them.
Maybe you have found yourself piled with debt that you began to wonder how you got there. Or wanting to respect and control the money you have rather than it controlling you.
Maybe you are a homemaker that can’t seem to ”get things right” and begin to complain of the call God put on your life.
Maybe you haven’t been a great steward of your health, such as, feeding it things it doesnt need.
Or your time. You feel time continues to slip by and nothing gets done.
Regardless of what it may be, we are to be faithful steward’s of every area of our life. This series that we are doing is to help us direct our eyes back onto what scripture says about us being faithful stewards in our marriage, in ourselves (body mind soul), in our children (parenting), in our home, our time with God, friendships and more.
Each topic will be posted on Thursday mornings on the blog. In each thread of topics you will find scripture along with reflection questions to help us do heart checks while allowing God and the Holy Spirit to bring to mind, and in light, what needs to go and be reorganized. It helps us to become better stewards in joy in our everyday life. God did not call us women to live un-joyfully in our life but to live in joy that He gives us. To be faithful in the little so He can entrust us with the more. This is not doing this “stewarding” so we could get more but to live joyfully and freely in Christ without feeling the demands and pressures of the world and our own expectations.
I pray this series will help us women walk in His ways, serving others with a cheerful and grateful attitude, with becoming better stewards of what was given unto us, and learning to structure our days accordingly. Doing so we will reap a bountiful harvest of joy, peace, contentment and a deeper relationship with the Lord.
A prayer for you
Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you today and thank you for the gift of life. Thank you for your Son Jesus who came to give us life and to live in your presence when we accept your Son. Thank you for the road less traveled, even though it’s hard and not easy, I thank you anyways for it. I pray over my dear sisters in Christ today Lord and ask that you reveal to each of us individually how to better become faithful stewards in this life. Better stewarding our marriage, our parenting, our time, our gifts, all that you have given us. Teach us Lord how to number our days and not take the life you’ve given us for granted. As my dear beloved sisters begin this series, I ask that you search our hearts and know it, bring to light anything hidden that we are unaware of, and help us to trust you in the process of you showing us to become better stewards. I thank you Lord for your Word give unto us and the value of time. Thank you for my dear beloved sisters in Christ who are entrusting their life in you. Grant them a heart that desires more of you and I ask Lord, that you reveal yourself to them in this time. May this series always reflect and point to you and if there is any conviction pointed to our hearts while doing this series, I ask that you help us all receive it with a teachable spirit, allowing you to do your good work within us. In Jesus name, amen.
See you next week sister for the topic: Stewarding Our….. can you guess? 😉