Stewardship Definition

In this week’s study of stewardship, I have learned that stewardship can take on a much broader meaning than I had initially thought. When reflecting on the word stewardship, I think of being responsible for what has been given to me by God. We are to manage and take care of these God given things. This meaning family, friends, and even strangers. I believe it also means showing stewardship in your profession, your personal belongings such as finances, assets, spiritual gifts and tangibles. Merriam-Webster (1828) states stewardship is “the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.” In several discussion boards, the four biblical principles of stewardship were mentioned, so I decided to research these principles. When referring to biblical stewardship, The Institution of Faith, Work, & Economics, Whelchel (2012) stated, “We believe it is where the concepts of faith, work, and economics intersect” (para. 3). These principles include ownership, responsibility, accountability, and reward. Ownership is the reminder that God owns everything, we are just caretakers acting on God’s behalf. The principle of responsibility is,
“We are called as God’s stewards to manage that which belongs to God. While God has graciously …show more content…
15). The principle of reward is based on the Bible verse in Colossians, “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” (Colossians 3:23-24, New International Version, p. 1623). In applying these four principles to our stewardship it entwines everything we do here on earth to our heavenly father. Which will glorify him and further the kingdom of