Estimated reading time: 12 minutes
Biblical financial stewardship is simply the responsibility of managing financial resources in a prudent way and executing your duties with integrity and ethically to ensure that you are acting in the owner’s best interest. As a steward, your work is to oversee on behalf of the owner. As a Christian millennial, you recognize that the owner of your finances is God.
Table of Contents
- Genesis 1
- Genesis 2
- Qualities of a good steward.
- A good steward is trustworthy.
- A good steward is shrewd in their dealings.
- A good steward has a healthy attitude toward money.
- Principles of Biblical financial stewardship
- Recognizing that God owns everything.
- Contentment as a principle of Biblical financial stewardship.
- Multiplication is another principle of Biblical financial stewardship.
- Wise counsel.
- Generosity and expansion of God’s kingdom.
- Saving and avoiding debt are also principles of Biblical financial stewardship
- Conclusion.
And with this knowledge in mind, your focus then becomes how to best manage everything that God has given you. After all, God reminds us that everything in heaven and on earth belongs to Him. He is after all, the creator of everything. And to show you where this truth comes from, let us look at the book of Genesis 1 & 2.
Genesis 1
26Then God said, “Let usmake humankindin our image,in our likeness,so that they may ruleover the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky,over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a]and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27So God createdhumankindin his own image,
in the image of Godhe created them;
male and femalehe created them.
28God blessed them and said to them,“Be fruitful and increase in number;fill the earthand subdue it. Rule overthe fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
29Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.30And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of lifein it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
Genesis 2
15TheLordGod took the man and put him in the Garden of Edento work it and take care of it.16And theLordGod commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;17but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
From these 2 accounts, we see that from the beginning the work of human beings was to steward what God had already created. Now that we know this, lets look at the qualities of a good steward then later on we will look at practical principles of Biblical financial stewardship.
Qualities of a good steward.
A good steward is trustworthy.
Being trustworthy simply means one that can be relied upon and depended on. So let me ask you this, can God rely on you to steward the resources He has given you well? Do you act with integrity? Do you keep the promises you make to God and others? Are you faithful in your dealings or do you deal unfairly with others?
When you are given excess change, do you give it back? Or when God gives you an instruction, are you careful to follow it to the letter? You should always remember that God will only add to those that are faithful. And even the Bible tells us that those who don’t manage their resources, even the little they have will be taken away from them. Do you tithe? Do you keep your promises? When you make a vow to God, do you honor it? Or do you assume He is God and will understand? Signs that you are a trustworthy person include?
- You are consistent. That means that your discipline and diligence are a part of who you are. Don’t get me wrong, you will experience bad days. However, your bad days are not as frequent. It means showing up even when you don’t want to. In that job, business, ministry, or school, God wants you to be consistent and authentic in your dealings.
- Humility is the core of who you are. As a steward who is faithful, it is important to recognize that humility is an attribute you should exercise always. Don’t look down on those that God has placed below you. And avoid being arrogant and proud. After all, God will demote and replace you when you are proud. He hates the proud, after all. Being humble means not seeing others as less than you and embodying a heart of service.
A good steward is shrewd in their dealings.
Being shrewd means to show sharp powers of judgment, to be astute, sharp-witted, intelligent, clever, canny, sagacious, perceptive, and savvy. A shrewd person isable to understand and judge a situation quickly and to use this understanding to their own advantage. Since you are a steward this means using that understanding to the advantage of your boss (Read God)
Do you take the role that God has given you seriously? This means being resourceful and avoiding waste. How do you manage the resources God has entrusted you with? Do you utilize the opportunities that God has placed before you? Are you utilizing the talents, connections, and resources that God has placed around you?
You were born in that family. How are you utilizing the opportunities? Remember this: there is always someone who wished they were in your shoes. In view of that, how then do you handle the platform, career, position, and business you have? Being shrewd means making use of every opportunity. Are you able to correct your mistakes when you mess up?
A good steward has a healthy attitude toward money.
Having a healthy attitude towards money means viewing money as a means to an end and not allowing money to rule over you. This is you realizing that money is not your God and should not cause you to act out of character to get it. Having a healthy attitude towards money means killing comparison and avoiding the trap of discontentment. This means that you recognize you are on a journey and God will always give you what you have the capacity to manage. Do you know God is the perfect investor? That means He only invests where there is a return on investment. Let me ask you this: have you considered that the reason you are not where you think you should be is that God knows you are not ready for that wealth and is preparing you for it?
Consider the parable of the talents. The master knew to give the lazy servant only one as opposed to two because the servant did not even know how to handle one talent/ In your journey of financial stewardship; it is imperative to recognize that a good steward is generous, an investor and knows the art of saving and budgeting.
Read also: HOW TO MANAGE YOUR FINANCES. ( 7 KEYS FOR CHRISTIAN MILLENNIALS).
Principles of Biblical financial stewardship
Recognizing that God owns everything.
At the core of Biblical financial stewardship is the realization that God owns everything. And here is a scripture that will help you understand this.
Psalm 24:1 The earth is theLord’s and the fullness thereof,the world and those who dwell therein
God owns everything, and you and I are simply overseers of what He has entrusted us with. This realization will help you hold everything loosely and not allow wealth to define you. When you realize God owns everything, you realize you totally depend on Him. After all, He is the One who gives you and me the ability to create wealth.
Read also: 3 ways God can help you achieve financial freedom.
In your journey to understanding Biblical financial stewardship, it is important to live with the realization that, in the end, you will be accountable to God. And you will recount how you utilized the gifts and talents He bestowed upon you. What do you want God to tell you at the end of your life? Live your life today with diligence and integrity, making use of what God has given you and seeking to multiply your talents.
When you are gone, your responsibilities will be passed on to someone else. So don’t focus only on stewardship of finances and forget to build relationships and stewarding of your family as well. What God is asking of you is balance. Put Him first and then manage what He has given you.
Contentment as a principle of Biblical financial stewardship.
Beings satisfied with what you have is key as you navigate biblical financial stewardship. Avoiding the trap of comparison and recognizing that God knows you best and knows what you can handle will help you live a healthier and a more fulfilled life. Paul mastered the art of contentment to where he said that he has learned to live with what was available. And to do this you need to recognize these 2 things.
- Always live below your means. You cannot be content when you don’t know how to live below your means. This looks like you ensuring that your income always outweighs your expenses. If this is not the case, find some expenses that you can do without. You can do this by categorizing your expenses and needs, which represent what you cannot do without, and wants, which are the expenses that you can live without. In order for you to accomplish this, you need to have a budget. Always track what is coming in and what is going out to ensure that you live below your means.
- Exercising contentment means cultivating diligence and discipline. Instead of comparing yourself with others and trying to keep up. Evaluate your financial position and realize that there will be other people wealthier than you. Don’t people please by borrowing to fund your lifestyle. Instead, be comfortable with what you have. It is okay not to afford that vacation. Instead, look for ways to increase your earning potential and be patient. Do not look for the get-rich-quick schemes. They will only get you into more debt since there is the possibility that you will lose it all. Discipline also means paying off all your debts and meeting all your obligations on time. Make it a habit to stay on top of things when you have commitments. This is how you represent God well in the world.
Multiplication is another principle of Biblical financial stewardship.
Biblical financial stewardship involves multiplication. One instruction God gave humanity was to multiply and fill the earth. Even after God destroyed the earth through floods, He gave Noah the same command of multiplication. This means that as a good steward, multiply what God has given you. Just like the servant with the 5 talents who doubled what his master had given him, focus on doing the same. And to do this, you require wisdom.
Multiplication comes from sowing. God gives each one of us both seed and food. And wisdom will help us recognize what we need to use for expenses and living in general and what we should save. A wonderful method would be to try the 50/30/20 rule. 50% should cover your expenses, 30% should cover your wants and 20% you should save. You could divide the 30% into two or whatever ratio you would like and use a certain percentage for investments.
Investments will help you in the future. And that is why the Bible even tells us that the wise leave an inheritance to their grandchildren. How, then, will you leave an inheritance if you don’t invest? There are different investment schemes you could consider based on your level of risk and your financial capabilities. Investments like, shares, government bonds, real estate, index, and mutual fund are all examples of investment opportunities that you could put your hands on.
Wise counsel.
The Bible reminds us it is in the presence of wise counsel people succeed. You cannot know everything. That is why we need community. God even modeled it for us by including both the Son and the Holy Spirit when creating us. Having professionals like financial coaches and advisors is imperative to your success as a financial steward. Who do you have in your ear before making any financial decision? Do you act on impulses or are you strategic in your every move? As a good steward, you factor in all the possibilities before making any move because you recognize you are acting on behalf of someone else and, in the end, you will recount your every decision.
It is okay to ask for help when you don’t understand something. Don’t allow pride or shame to prevent you from asking for help. When you don’t ask for help, you might end up in a ditch. Wise counsel also helps keep you accountable and they will remind you not to be conceited and proud.
Generosity and expansion of God’s kingdom.
Biblical financial stewardship emphasizes the art of generosity and expansion of the kingdom of God. After all, He is the master of all. How will you say you are a good steward if you are not advancing the work of the person who placed you as an overseer? Advancing God’s kingdom looks like you tithing, which is a command in Malachi 3. You will also help in the construction of churches and contribute in the causes that God cares about.
Being generous and helping those in need is also another way of advancing God’s kingdom. There are moments when your generosity will lead people to Christ. And being the hands and feet of Jesus looks like you helping those in need. One caveat is to ensure that you don’t spend to where you end up having nothing. My advice would be to set aside a certain percentage every month for such causes and ask the Holy Spirit for help on the causes that you should take part in.
Saving and avoiding debt are also principles of Biblical financial stewardship
When there is an emergency, you should have finances to cover the said emergency. This shows that you know how to manage your finances well. Having a savings account, an emergency account and a retirement plan are all traits of a financially sound individual.
Avoidance of debt is great. The Bible tells us that a borrower is a slave to the lender. And obviously, as a steward of God’s resources, God does not want you as a slave to someone else. Now it is not wrong to take debt. However, avoid it as much as possible. As debt will always hinder you from being effective in God’s work. How will you help others if you cannot even help yourself? How will God entrust you with more if you are sinking into debt?
Check out my blog on a complete guide on debt-repayment for Christian millennials to help you get out of debt.
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- 5 Unique Financial Problems Facing Christian Millennials Today.
Conclusion.
Biblical financial stewardship is important if you want to experience abundance here on earth, be entrusted with more, and hear the words well done, good and faithful servant from God. Today I want to encourage you to take stock and look at the areas in that you have not stewarded your finances well. It is still early to make the change now.
