One thing we all have in common is that we all have lots of stuff, especially when compared to the rest of the world. Over a lifetime, we accumulate stuff and then pass it down to the next generation. In other words, we know that we can’t take it with us—we know we will give it to our kids and grandkids, but to give our stuff away now is just plain hard.
1 Chronicles 29 is a story about a king and his followers who could somehow see their money and stuff in light of the greatness and goodness of God. You could say they saw themselves as stewards rather than owners, and they did something so incredible with their stuff that we are still talking about it 3,000 years later. In this story, God was far more concerned about building a people who would worship Him with joyful, generous hearts rather than simply building a place to worship. And what happened was this: They understood the difference between ownership and stewardship. A few things to remember in this chapter is that everything belongs to God, comes from God, and is distributed by God.
So, what does it look like to be a good steward in today’s society? Here are four truths that flesh out how to think biblically about stewardship:
- Stewardship is not simply about money; it’s about your great God who has “graced” you with all you have.
- Stewardship IS the Christian life.
- Stewardship is central to your identity; it’s not an activity.
- Stewardship is a matter of the heart (Read 1 Chronicles 29:14-18 and underline how many times “heart” is mentioned).
David’s question to Israel becomes God’s question to us: Will you generously and sacrificially invest some of the “stuff” God has given you to accomplish the work He has set before us here? Our response to grace now and in the future is to create more spaces in other places for people who need to experience the grace of God just like we have. As a steward of the grace God has lavished on you—Will you partner with God in His work here? Would you give your heart to God’s work here?
*We are a church located in Greenville, South Carolina. Our vision is to see God transform us into a community of grace passionately pursuing life and mission with Jesus.*
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Written by Charlie Boyd