Pope John Paul II, the Polish former head of the Catholic church once remarked: "The earth will not continue to offer its harvest, except with faithful stewardship. We cannot say we love the land and then take steps to destroy it for use by future generations." Genesis 1:28 reminds us: “And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Stewardship is the accepted responsibility and ethical management of something entrusted into one's care. A steward acts as a guardian rather than an owner, with a duty to protect and preserve a resource for the long-term benefit of others, including future generations. Stewardship is a practice that embodies the responsible planning and management of resources. The image of stewardship can be applied to the environment and nature, economics, health, places, property, information, theology, and cultural resources.
The concept of humankind as the "steward of the land" is a theological notion found primarily in Abrahamic religions, particularly Christianity, which posits that humans are responsible for the care, management, and protection of God's creation. This belief, derived from biblical narratives like Genesis, frames human dominion not as absolute ownership or exploitation, but as a mandate to act as caretakers who look after the environment and its resources for the betterment of creation and the glory of God.
Church stewardship is the conviction that God owns everything, and believers are responsible for wisely managing the gifts He entrusts to them, including their time, talents, and treasure, for the purpose of furthering God's kingdom. It's a way of life that involves giving back to God with an attitude of gratitude and using these resources to support the church's mission, such as by offering prayers, personal service, and financial contributions.
Good stewardship requires a measure of responsibility, faithful management of entrusted resources (like time, talent, and treasure), hard work, commitment to excellence, and faith in a higher power (God, in the Biblical context) who owns everything. It also involves acting with generosity, integrity, and accountability to care for creation, serve others, and advance the owner's purpose. The Parable of the Talents is a key biblical story illustrating stewardship, where a master entrusts servants with money before a journey; those who invested and multiplied their "talents" were praised, while the one who hid his was rebuked for being lazy and unproductive. Other examples include the Parable of the Unjust Steward (Luke 16:1–13), which discusses a manager trying to curry favor, and stories of selfless giving like the widow's mite in Luke 21:1-4. Matthew 25:14-30 reminds us: “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more.
So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”’
Stewardship includes befitting God to the best of our ability. In Christian theology, this also extends to serving God's people and the community through gifted resources, making stewardship an act of devotion and obedience to God. It can also be considered the aegis of the planet. It suggests a relationship between human responsibility and planetary protection. While not a factual statement, it can be explored by breaking down the meaning of the terms involved and their metaphorical implications. Stewardship is fundamentally an act of giving, particularly in a spiritual context, where it is seen as a response to a higher power and a way of responsibly using and returning the resources entrusted to one's care. This includes giving back time, talents, and money, not as ownership, but as a form of worship and a way to contribute to a greater purpose. Winston Churchill, an English statesman and former prime minister of the United Kingdom once remarked: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” 1 Peter 4:10 reminds us: “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace:”
Family life can be considered a continuing stewardship because it involves the careful and responsible management of children and relationships as a gift entrusted to a person's care, requiring gratitude, responsibility, and accountability in passing on values and wisdom. This perspective emphasizes that a parent's role is to nurture children and to manage their home, relationships, and other resources for the fulfillment of life's purposes. Christian family life relates to God as a divine institution designed to reflect His character, provide a context for spiritual growth, and serve as a foundation for society, with members encouraged to embody qualities like love, faithfulness, and compassion towards God and each other. Each family member can experience God's love and learn to love others within the family unit, while also being called to prioritize God in their lives and follow His design for family life. Family life can be considered a harvest in both literal and metaphorical ways, particularly within a spiritual or religious context. It can be seen as the result of "sowing" or nurturing, with the "harvest" being the growth of children, the blessings of family, and the wisdom gained over time. 1 Timothy 5:8 reminds us: “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
Malachi 3:10 is a call for the ancient Israelites to bring their tithes to the Temple storehouse, which would support the priests and Levites, with God promising abundant blessings in return if they obeyed. The verse is often used to encourage tithing in churches today, though some interpretations emphasize its original context of Old Testament temple worship. It reminds us: “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”
Amen.
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