“Stewardship, Obedience And Accountability!”

“Stewardship, Obedience And Accountability!”
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from the tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for if you eat of it you will surely die.’…”(Gen.2:4b-9&15-25).
When God put man in the garden and asked him to “work it and take care of it,” that was making man a steward and a caretaker. The injunction not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was to ensure obedience. Inclusive in it was the fatal consequences of disobedience (sin) – death!
“A steward is a person who manages the affairs of God on earth. God has made each of us a steward and has given us abilities that are unique.”
A steward is a mere caretaker. As a steward you are protecting and caring for what really does not belong to you. We often handle the things of this world as if we owned them. No! “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it”(Ps.24:1).
What then is our responsibilities as stewards? “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms”(I Pt.4:10).
God’s stewards are in the world, but not of the world. We recognise that the Lord sets us apart from the world. And that by the transforming power of the gospel he sends us into the world to live out the gospel.
Chtistian stewardship is a way of living in which we recognise that everything belongs to God. Whatever there is in this world must be used for his glory. Paul intimates, “men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God…it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful”(I Cor.4:1-2).
A steward must be accountable for what has been entrusted to him. Dear friend, we are told that *”whatever your task, work heartily as serving the Lord and not men.” This means that you should know that you are serving the Lord in that little assignment or that low job that you are doing. God has placed you there for a purpose and he is watching your activities.
The owner has also set limits to what you should do and what you should not do. This calls for obedience to the owner’s command. Sin is the result of man’s disobedience.
Do your work with integrity; conscious of the fact that you are just a caretaker. The master will reward your faithfulness at the right time.
Sunday prayer: Holy Spirit help me to be a faithful and accountable steward in whatever task I have been assigned to do. Amen!
Have a blessed Sunday! Peace be with you!
Rev. Babila Fochang.