What does the Bible say about financial stewardship?

Stewardship is a core biblical doctrine that originates with the creation story and carries significance for us today. A steward is simply a person who has been entrusted to care for something on another’s behalf. The first two chapters of Genesis tell how God created the Earth and placed the first man and woman in the Garden of Eden to tend it for him.

Even though sin and rebellion have now marred God’s perfect creation, Psalm 24 reminds us that he has not surrendered his ownership of it.

The earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the Lord; for he laid its foundation on the seas and established it on the rivers. Psalm 24:1-2 (CSB)

God still owns this world and still calls us to steward it carefully. One way we do this is by handling our finances well.

God’s ownership extends to our finances.

Good financial stewardship begins by recognizing that God’s ownership extends even to our money and financial resources.

As the Israelites prepared to enter Canaan, Moses knew that the riches of the Promised Land could easily sway them into believing they were entirely responsible for their success. He warned them:

“You may say to yourself, ‘My power and my own ability have gained this wealth for me,’ but remember that the Lord your God gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm his covenant he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.” Deuteronomy 8:17-18 (CSB)

Our hard work can bring financial rewards, but our ability to do so stems from God’s grace. He gives us the mental and physical ability to earn an income.

The author of Ecclesiastes tells us the financial resources we accumulate are gifts from him that we’re allowed to use and enjoy during our time on Earth.

Furthermore, everyone to whom God has given riches and wealth, he has also allowed him to enjoy them, take his reward, and rejoice in his labor. This is a gift of God… Ecclesiastes 5:19 (CSB)

Understanding that wealth is God’s gift to us should shift how we think about money. Instead of viewing it as something to accumulate for our benefit, we should see it as a tool to further his Kingdom and purposes.

Good financial stewardship honors the Lord.

Paul wrote these words to the Colossian church:

And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17 (CSB)

He gave a similar command to the Corinthian church:

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 (CSB)

Even the most fundamental gifts in our lives — like food, drink and finances — have been given to be gratefully used to honor the Lord. There is no division between the sacred and the secular. Everything we have is sacred because we have received it from the Lord.

Honoring the Lord with our finances means that we take them seriously. You wouldn’t thoughtlessly cast aside or waste a gift given to you by a spouse or dear friend. To do so would communicate that you valued neither the gift nor the giver. Instead, you would use it carefully, knowing that your actions reflect the importance and honor you ascribe to that relationship. In the same way, wisely using the finances given to us by God is a way of honoring him and aligning our priorities with his.

Financial stewardship has an eternal impact.

At the end of his parable on the dishonest manager, Jesus told his disciples:

“Whoever is faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and whoever is unrighteous in very little is also unrighteous in much. So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will trust you with what is genuine? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what is your own?” Luke 16:10-12 (CSB)

How we steward our material means in this life will help determine our eternal responsibilities. The measure of our success as stewards is not how much we accumulate but how faithful we are in serving God’s purposes with what he gave us. Good financial stewardship develops our spiritual maturity and commitment to the Lord. Using our finances faithfully for him while we’re on this earth makes an eternal difference.

Good financial stewardship is an outworking of our faith.

Serving as good financial stewards is one of the ways we can live out our faith. James wrote:

For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. James 2:26 (CSB)

Financial stewardship calls us to look beyond the temporal nature of our possessions and wealth and recognize the profound privilege God’s grace has given us to manage what is his and use it to further his Kingdom. It reminds us to hold our resources with open hands and be ready to deploy them for God’s glory, trusting in him to provide graciously.

Ultimately, financial stewardship is about more than money; it’s the outward reflection of our inward posture toward Jesus Christ. Simply put, good stewards are faithful followers of him. Need some practical ways to help put good stewardship principles into practice? From the beginning stages of planning your saving and investment strategies to enjoying life in retirement, GuideStone® can help guide you every step of your journey. For more information, contact us at Info@GuideStone.org or 1-888-98-GUIDE (1-888-984-8433), Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT.

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