September-October 1997

More than Money

Using your time, talents and treasures for the kingdom

by Keith W. Stump

Mention the word stewardship, and many Christians brace themselves for the inevitable appeal for money.

And no wonder. The only time most Christians hear a discussion of stewardship is when financial needs arise. Organized efforts by churches and ministries to persuade people to give money regularly are often called "stewardship campaigns."

Of course, churches and ministries do need money -- money for facilities, salaries, evangelism, missions and works of charity. Most Christians identify with these needs and are eager to help.

But stewardship goes far beyond financial issues. The modern emphasis on the stewardship of money has obscured the full significance of this important biblical concept.

Stewards of the Gospel

A steward is a person to whose care is committed the management of another's property. Modern Bible translations sometimes use the term agent or manager in place of steward.

The classic biblical example of a steward is Joseph, whom the Egyptian captain Potiphar placed in charge of his household (Genesis 39:4-6). Perhaps the best-known steward in the New Testament is the "unjust steward" (NIV, "shrewd manager") of Luke 16.

But for Christians, stewardship involves much more than property management. Elsewhere in the New Testament, the concept of stewardship is used in a metaphorical or figurative sense, depicting Christians as "stewards of the mysteries of God" (1 Corinthians 4:1, KJV) and "stewards of the manifold grace of God" (1 Peter 4:10, KJV).

This perspective has profound and far-reaching implications for each of us. A Christian's primary stewardship is not that of money but of the gospel, and involves the use of one's whole life in God's service!

God has entrusted the gospel to our care. As Christian stewards, we are responsible for taking care of the gospel and faithfully transmitting it to those from whom it remains hidden.

At the same time, Christians are stewards of the spiritual gifts that God has given them. As the apostle Peter explains, "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms" (1 Peter 4:10).

Stewardship is the Christian's response to the commission of Christ to build up the church and make disciples of all nations. It is the recognition that all gifts come from God and are to be used for his glory and for the benefit of his creatures. It involves nothing less than the proper management of one's entire life and resources.

In His Service

God made the world and everything in it. All things are his. He is the source of all our wealth, all our talents and all the moments of our lives. Nothing we have can be thought of as earned or merited. All that we have and all that we are belong to God.

As stewards of God, we are responsible to him for the proper use of what he has given us. God has entrusted these gifts to us to be used in his service. He expects us to live our lives carefully, managing them as a wise steward -- to build up his church, to serve others, to further his work on earth and to develop our personal potential.

But what, you might ask, has God given you to manage for him? Our stewardship potential can be subdivided into three Ts: our time, our talents and our treasures.

Managing Our Time

God calls on us to use our time wisely, "making the most of every opportunity" (Ephesians 5:16).

Today, many are overcharged with the cares of this life -- with jobs, housework, studies, finances, relationships. Why? Because they have not understood God's purpose for their lives and have not adjusted their priorities accordingly. Our personal priorities determine how we manage our time. Yet most have no strategy for life. They jumble their priorities and miss opportunities with no thought of their mortality or their accountability to God.

While Jesus was on earth, he set an example of serving, helping and sharing (Philippians 2:5-7). He requires his followers to do the same, and he highlights its importance by declaring, "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40).

Serving God and serving humanity are inseparable. Such service is our reason for being: "For we are God's workmanship," wrote the apostle Paul, "created in Christ Jesus to do good works" (Ephesians 2:10).

Of course, doing good works requires time. By uncluttering and reorganizing our lives -- removing some of the peripherals and nonessentials -- we can open up time that otherwise would not be available.

Time to do what? Time to mow the lawn of an elderly neighbor. Time to clean an invalid's house. Time to deliver a meal to a needy family. Time to serve on a church committee. Time to drive an elderly widow to the store. Time to visit the sick. Time to baby-sit for a frazzled couple. Time to phone a despondent friend. Time to help out at a homeless shelter. Time to render practical help and support of every kind and description.

Jesus reached out to others of his day. We are Christ's hand extended to the modern world. We must make time -- and take time -- to serve others.

Talents and Gifts

The second T is our talents.

Everyone has unique gifts and talents. The God-given talents of Christians are to be shared to accomplish the work of God in the world.

In many parables, Jesus dealt with property and our responsibility for using it wisely. Property in Jesus' parables is often a metaphor for life itself. These parables teach that believers are responsible to God for managing their lives and using them for the benefit of others. The familiar parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30 encourages us to use the talents, gifts and abilities that have been entrusted to us, not to bury them in the ground.

The Holy Spirit bestows on Christians diverse and complementary spiritual gifts for the common good of the whole Christian community (Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12).

These are special gifts of grace, freely given by God to meet the needs of the body. They are manifested in acts of service within the Christian community and the world. They include gifts of leadership, administration, teaching, hospitality, encouraging, helping and serving, among others.

Everyone has a ministry and a role to play. All Christians are called upon to discover the gifts they have received and to use them for the building up of the church and for serving the world to which the church is sent.

If you don't know what your particular gift is, consult your pastor or close friends. Our gifts are often discovered as we observe how God uses us to minister to others, and when others recognize certain qualities in us.

In addition to spiritual gifts, we all possess practical skills and abilities that can also be used in the service of our church and for the benefit of others. These may include carpentry skills, computer skills, business administration, marketing, translating, landscaping, writing, electrical work -- literally hundreds of possibilities! A wise steward considers how to put these resources to use outside of his or her 9-to-5 workplace.

Sharing Our Treasures

The third T is our treasure -- our money. As already noted, many focus on the stewardship of money almost to the exclusion of any other aspect.

For example, in researching this article I turned to the heading "Stewardship" in a best-selling and respected biblical reference work. There I found a simple two-word entry: "See Tithing." This is typical of today's mercenary view of stewardship.

Yet money is a part of the giving of ourselves in God's service. Except in cases of extreme poverty, one cannot give of oneself without giving of one's money.

In this world, wealth is used to exploit, dominate and persecute. "The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil," warns Paul (1 Timothy 6:10). But wealth is not an innate evil. It can be an important resource for service.

It is in the use of our wealth that we learn to choose between the passions of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. Do we consume what God gives us entirely on ourselves, or do we share with the less fortunate and with the church?

Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21). As Christians, our hearts must be in the gospel of Jesus Christ. If our hearts are fully on ourselves, we will never be content and never grow spiritually. As Jesus observed, "If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?" (Luke 16:11). Paul equates greed or covetousness with idolatry (Colossians 3:5).

But if our hearts are fully committed to God, we will be grateful for his generosity and want to share our wealth with others -- not out of obligation, but out of gratitude. Loving God means using our money in ways that please him, in ways that tangibly demonstrate our priorities.

Good stewardship is managing our financial affairs so there is something to give to others -- to one's church, evangelical ministries, orphanages, missions and charitable organizations.

But how much should we give?

How we manage our giving is between us and God. It is according to the conscience of each person. In determining a giving pattern, we should give as God has blessed us. Are you giving at an appropriate level for your income? Ask God honestly what your giving should be. Establish a plan for regular, systematic giving.

Some Christians feel the practice of tithing provides a useful guideline for giving (see box).

The important point is that we not give grudgingly out of obligation, but cheerfully, from the heart (2 Corinthians 9:7). The value of our gift is not determined by its dollar amount, but by the spirit in which it is given (Mark 12:41-44). It should be motivated by loving gratitude to God for the gift of his saving grace.

Make Your Life Count!

Each Christian is significant! Each has a role to play in the body of Christ and in God's plan for humanity.

God has done his part. He has equipped us to fulfill those roles. Now we must use God's gifts -- our time, talents and treasures -- wisely and productively.

How are we managing the resources God has entrusted to us?

God will eventually ask us to give account of our stewardship: "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked" (Luke 12:48).

The foremost requirement of stewards of God is faithfulness: "Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful" (1 Corinthians 4:2).

The Christian life must be seized and lived out in faith! God challenges us to demonstrate our commitment to him by being faithful stewards of all he has given us. He is looking for men and women who will dedicate their lives to serving Jesus Christ -- people who will courageously give their time, talents and treasures to serve others and advance his kingdom. 

Is Tithing for Christians? Tithing is the practice of giving a tenth of one's income to God. Tithing was commanded under the old covenant (Deuteronomy 14:22-29). In Jesus' day, tithing was still in force (Matthew 23:23). It was the means of supporting the priests and other Levites who served at the temple in Jerusalem. Tithing is mentioned only eight times in the New Testament, each a reference either to old covenant or contemporary Jewish practice. Today, the entire old covenant, with its commands, is obsolete (Hebrews 8:13). It has been set aside (Hebrews 7:12, 18-19). Tithing as an obligation is thus done away. The New Testament lays out new principles of voluntary giving. There is no prescription of a percentage of income under the new covenant. Voluntary giving reflects the believer's worship, faith and love for God. There remain, however, financial needs within the new covenant. The gospel of Jesus Christ cannot become universal without some means of accomplishing the work of evangelism. It takes money to reach unbelievers and to tend the flock of Christ. There are also charitable and humanitarian needs. The apostle Paul cited the example of the Macedonian churches, which gave generously to help the impoverished Christians of Jerusalem, even to the point of self-sacrifice (2 Corinthians 8:1-5). The New Testament principle of love encourages us to go beyond the call of duty. Few would deny that we ought to honor God by returning some of the blessings he gives us. Though not commanded, some Christians regard tithing as a legitimate percentage to be used as a guide for consistent giving. For some, however, a tithe may be too small. For others, impossible. One's level of giving is a matter of individual conscience, not exact prescription. Tithing -- indeed, all giving -- is a voluntary expression of worship and stewardship -- an act of pure generosity by one who is under no obligation. Voluntary giving reflects the believer's worship, faith and love for God, who is the source of salvation and giver of all good things.

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