Stewardship Part One

Stewardship Part One

“You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.” 1Corinthians 7:23

We learn at least two important truths from this verse: 1) – We do not belong to ourselves; we are not autonomous; we belong to the One who purchased us at the price of His life. 2) – We should never be the slaves of men, irrespective of who we are.

This is foundational for a proper understanding of stewardship. The dictionary defines stewardship: “A person who manages for another his property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another.” This means that you, and everything you have, belong to Christ. He purchased you. Your responsibility, therefore, is to steward that which belongs to him. You own nothing. Every decision you make, how you spend your life and the assets God gives you, how you handle all relationships in life – must be made based on the question, “What does my Master want done with what belongs to Him?”

In the final analysis, this is an issue of what you believe. Do you think, when Christ died for you, that He set you free to live for yourself? The Bible says, “And He died for all, that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for Him who for their sake died and was raised.” 2 Corinthians 5:15

The Psalmist said, “For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others. Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names. Nevertheless, man being in honor abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.” Psalm 49:10-12

 

This is your choice: You can deceive yourself into believing that all you are and have belongs to you, in which case you will end “like the beasts that perish.” Or, you can acknowledge that you belong to your Savior and that as His slave He is preparing you for an eternity with Him.

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