The western world we live in emphasizes ownership over stewardship. This creates a tendency for us to measure success and worth of an individual by the assets accumulated, treasures collected, and memories of a person’s experiences.
Being an owner infers one has controlling interest in the item owned. Things owned tend to be inanimate objects, with the ability to be traded, discarded, used, or abused at the owner’s discretion. This would include land, houses, businesses, and other physical, tangible articles.
With ownership, one has the privilege and responsibility to make decisions as to what happens with each item. In this western world, owners are often graded by the value placed on their accumulated assets and the privileges accompanying those items. As in the enjoyment of the amenities of an expensive country club or resort community or the use of a private jet.
With an ownership mentality there is a tendency to include intangible items, as in a person’s reputation, the culture of a company, and the power and influence with a position (elected office, government position, religious leader, etc.).
In a world deprived of proper moral constraints, ownership thinking is often extended to people, thus including children, dependents, employees, or anyone under the “control” of the owner.
Owners are responsible for outcomes, how things are used, whether for good or evil. As a business owner one is responsible for the growth of the company, to ensure expenses are paid timely, etc. Parents are given credit (or blame) as to how their children behave even as adults in society.
In God’s economy, He is the owner of all things. God entrusts people with the care for various tangible and intangible items at His discretion. This includes everything mentioned in the preceding paragraphs.
Stewardship implies another person is the owner who has assigned an individual oversight to manage a set of assets by the owner. Instructions are provided to the steward in how to care for and utilize each specific item for the goals and objectives laid out by the owner.
Owners need to provide stewards all the necessary resources to properly handle the assets entrusted to their care. Owners are thus responsible for outcomes.
Stewards are responsible to execute to the best of their ability the desires of the owner.
Under God’s kingdom, parents, employers, and special caretakers are assigned particular responsibilities as stewards.
Embracing the fact God is the owner of everything is a key to stewardship.
As we submit to Christ as our LORD and Savior, we surrender our being and everything under our influence to His direction. We actively seek His instructions in how to utilize our time, talent, and treasures for HIS glory.
A proper understanding of God’s ownership and our stewardship, frees us from anxiety, worry, and other negative emotions.
With a healthy stewardship perspective, we do the best we can and leave the results to God.
