One out of every six verses in the gospels has to do with stewardship.
Definition: "Stewardship is the responsibility of managing some assets or affairs or property of someone else's."
Uncle Screwtape: “The sense of ownership in general is always to be encouraged. The humans are always putting up claims to ownership, which sounds equally funny in heaven and in hell. We must keep them doing so. All the time, the joke is that the word mine in its fully possessive sense cannot be uttered by a human being about anything…”
Therefore we must identify who is the owner and who is the manager.
The first principle in identification is:
1. God owns everything. Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth..."
Colossians 1:16 “Through his power all things were made—things in heaven and on earth, things seen and unseen, all powers, authorities, lords, and rulers. All things were made through Christ and for Christ.” (NCV)
Who is the Owner? GOD!!!!!!!
Just because God owns everything doesn't mean that it's being used the way He intended for it to be used.
Why did God make man?
The second principle in identification is:
2. God created man to be the managers of His creation.
Genesis 1:28 "God blessed them and said to them `Be fruitful and increase in number. Fill the earth. Subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every creature that moves on the ground." (NIV)
Genesis 2:15 “The LORD God put the man in the garden of Eden to care for it and work it.” (NIV)
Our basic problem is we forget who the owner is and who the manager is.
Stewardship, when you get down to it, is simply partnership with God.
1 Corinthians 3:9 “We are God’s workers, working together;” (NCV)
What are we to manage then? “EVERYTHING!!!!”
What about Tithing?
God wants us to tithe because it reminds us that everything we have still belongs to God.
However, many times we live by the philosophy of “How little can I give and keep God happy with me?”
Romans 14:12 “So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.” (NKJV)
The Key: Just because something is in your possession, does not mean it is your possession.
