Principles of Stewardship

Principles of Stewardship

Matthew 25:14-30

Stewardship is defined as "the management or administration of the property of others." (Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words.) We are all stewards, as everything we have in our lives comes from God and belongs to God. We are reminded of this in 1 Cor. 4:7 - What do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you glory as if you had not received it? Everything we have, including our lives themselves, we have received from God and ultimately belong to God.

Five Key Principles of Matthew 25

1. v. 14-15. Each of us has received gifts or talents from God.

Read 1 Peter 4:10. Every single person has received gifts from God, by God’s grace.

First, we must identify our gifts and talents.

How do you identify your talents? Ask God to show you. Also, ask yourself: What do I like to do? What comes easy to me? What am I good at?

Next, we must learn to use our talents to serve God.

Ask yourself: How does God want me to use this gift to bless others?

2. v. 16-18. What we do with our talents is our choice.

God's blessings are not meant to be contained or hoarded, but freely shared. What will I do with the talents and resources God has given me?

3. v. 19. Each of us will one day give an account to God for what we have done with the gifts and resources He gave us.

Rom. 14:12 - So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

The one using the property of another must account to the owner at some point.

4. v. 20-27. Successful stewardship is measured by faithfulness, not by accumulation.

1 Cor. 4:2 - Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. The important thing is not what the world thinks, but what God thinks! The world may not consider you a success, but that won't matter if God says, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

For example, if your talent is singing, true success is not measured by how many albums you recorded, how many people attended your concerts, or how many music awards you won. True success is measured by how faithful you were to use the talent God gave you the way He wanted you to.

Perhaps you have seen the bumper sticker that says, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” There’s another one that responds with “He who dies with the most toys still dies.” Earthly accumulation results in no gain at the end. It’s faithfulness to God that will be deemed a success in the end.

5. v. 28-30. To use is to increase, to neglect is to lose. We can see this principle even in our own physical bodies - if we use our muscles, they grow and get stronger; if we neglect using our muscles, they atrophy and lose function. If we use the talents God has given us, God will increase them. If we neglect the talents God has given us, we may one day, like the servant who buried his talent, find we no longer have them.

Luke 12:42-43 - And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes."

Last modified: November 07, 2004