Godly Stewardship

Do you have an attitude of giving? When many people hear this, they tend to freeze up, as it’s often associated with money. But giving can mean far more than just your finances, it can mean your time and energy too. More so, giving is what God calls us to! We should participate in it joyfully.

The truth is, nothing you have is actually yours. We are stewards of the blessings God gives to us, this includes our time and our finances. Even our spiritual gifts have been given in order to give back. As it says in 1 Peter 4:10

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”

If you struggle with greed, this is an important understanding to have when walking with the Lord. Pray to have Him teach you how to let go of what you most hold on to and turn to him, to receive his blessings that are far greater than you can ever imagine. As it says in 2 Corinthians 9:6:

“Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”

If you continue reading into verse 7, it states ”each one must give as he decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” This means you can’t be told what or how much to give, it must be prayerfully consider between you and God. That doesn’t mean it will be easy however. Giving is often a sacrifice of giving something up, to be devoted to the Lord.

"Each one must give as he decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver"

A great example of this is when God asks us to give of our “first fruits.” This can mean something different for everyone. God asks us to give the first to him, this could mean the first hour of our day or the first portion of our paycheck, before using it anywhere else. (Deuteronomy 26:1) For myself, that often means giving time before work in the morning to spend time in the word. And I can tell you, It often fills my soul and prepares me for the day ahead. So I cheerfully give that time!

Maybe it’s time to examine what God wants you to give. The first step is to prayerfully ask the Lord to show you. Often, it starts with tithing, meaning to give 10 percent of your income. Some people find it difficult to tithe the 10 percent. Prayerfully ask the Lord what you should be giving. It will be a sacrifice, but he will be faithful.

From giving of your time to giving of your finances, godly stewardship is an essential part of your faith walk. It helps us to grow strong in the Lord and free from the idols that can distract us from where our focus should be, on Him. We can learn to rely and be faithful to the Lord’s direction in our lives, through giving joyfully.

“If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?” - Luke 16:11

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