Search
Stewardship: God commands it, God expects it, and God rewards it!
-
Dear parishioners,
Last week I posed a question for our collective reflection: “Is St. Therese, Little Flower my parish or a parish I go to?” I am aware that the majority of those who read my letters are registered parishioners at our parish, but there are some who are not registered yet or still on the fence about committing to our parish. We also have people from other parishes who participate at our parish events and mostly worship with us but are still discerning whether to become members at Little Flower. We would love to have you all register. But whatever your status, I think we can all pray about this question and ask what the Lord is calling us to, or asking of us, in relation to the parish.
Author Bill Peel identifies four principles for the biblical concept of stewardship. I will be reflecting on these as we seek to understand the idea of stewardship as what God commands, expects and rewards.
1. The Principle of Ownership.
The psalmist declares in chapter 24, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” When God created Adam and Eve and put them in the Garden of Eden, He gave them the responsibility of caring for the earth. This was the stewardship of creation. It is the fundamental principle of every other kind of stewardship recorded in the bible. God is the owner of everything, and we are simply managers, caretakers, and administrators acting on God’s behalf. Whereas we want to think that we acquired all we have by our efforts, as though unaided, we must heed the caution of Deuteronomy 8:18 “Remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.” This principle calls for a change of mindset in our attitude to what we possess – our family, children, career, job, education, wealth, even our life.
2. The Principle of Responsibility.
Although we have received everything from the hands of God for our enjoyment, nothing is truly ours. Nothing really belongs to us; we only care for what is rightfully God’s. This principle challenges whatever sense of entitlements we might have. One can only feel entitled to what is rightfully theirs. It is said that “owners have rights, but stewards have responsibilities.” And whatever rights we have to anything engenders some responsibility. God owns everything; and God has given us everything we possess on trust. Jesus said, “To whom much is given, much is expected; and to whom much is given on trust, even much more would be expected.” (Luke 12:48). We are responsible for how we treat or use that which God has freely given to us. Whatever rights we think we have to creation and all the good things of life, we must remember there are corresponding responsibilities.
3. The Principle of Accountability.
Because we manage what is God’s, on his behalf, we will one day give an account for how we have managed what we have been given. The “Parable of the Talents” shows us this much (Matthew 25:14-30). All of creation has been handed over to us to manage, not as we see fit, but according to the will and purpose of the owner – God. We will give account of our time, money, abilities, knowledge, wisdom… everything. Good stewards are judged by how well they manage what is entrusted to them by the owner. St. Paul writes, "Now it is of course required of stewards that they be found trustworthy" (1 Corinthians 4:2).
4. The Principle of Reward.
St. Paul writes to the Colossians 3:23-24, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Jesus speaks of the last judgment in Matthew 25:21 when the master would exclaim “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” The reward for our stewardship is both temporary and spiritual. God blesses us not only with material prosperity: health, family, wealth, career… but also eternal life in the end.
Whereas stewardship is often associated with finance and budget, the idea of stewardship entails a whole new vision, a new way of seeing EVERYTHING we have, including our time, talent and our money, as belonging to God. It is our responsibility to care for everything God has blessed us with, knowing that we will one day give account to the One who truly owns everything. This mindset change leads to actions which predispose us to reap the rewards that come from doing God’s will. Remember, God commands, expects and rewards our stewardship. For God cannot be outdone in generosity.
Please join us in praying for our parish as we plan for our Stewardship Month in October.
May Jesus bless you, and may Our Lady protect you!
Fr. Julius