What we should be doing is teaching individuals to recognize their calling to be faithful stewards of what God has entrusted to them. Yet, it has been my observation that the majority of messages about money from senior church leaders primarily emphasize giving. Funding church ministries is not the primary reason the Bible speaks so frequently about this topic. Stewardship is important because individuals cannot be fully aligned with God’s desire for them if they get the “money thing” wrong. The vast majority of scriptural references to money and possessions address the responsibilities of the individual rather than the needs of the church. Three, as churches, we frequently get the biblical message reversed. When the topic is discussed, it is mostly in response to the significant pressure felt by senior leaders to raise funds to keep ministries supported. The formal education most of our pastors and senior leaders receive rarely includes a serious study of stewardship and the biblical perspective of money. Two, many church leaders have not been taught the true meaning of stewardship and therefore are not in a strong position to teach others. Giving is the portion you manage that you give away, stewardship is the responsibility you have to wisely manage the total amount, most of which you keep. Stewardship is simply the act of being a steward.Ī biblical steward is one who has been entrusted with the property of the owner and expected to manage it wisely as the owner himself would. Stewardship is not just another term for giving money to support church ministries. I believe the great majority of our church leaders have defined stewardship incorrectly. One, as a church body, we have misunderstood the fundamental meaning of stewardship. So why has stewardship not been emphasized more in our churches? The last 25 years of involvement in stewardship ministry have led me to several thoughts in response to that important question. More than 2,400 verses address our relationship to wealth, the dangers of mishandling it and the barriers money can present to our relationship to God and others. It comes as a surprise to many that the Bible speaks about money and possessions more than any other topic except love. It’s a great question considering the emphasis the Bible places on stewardship, money and possessions. As a stewardship pastor I have often been asked why so few churches are investing in a comprehensive stewardship ministry.
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