When someone applies for a job, he usually has to present a whole set of documents to his prospective employer — normally a diploma showing the education he has completed, a résumé, a work record, and a few references if he has any. After that he may also be asked to come in for a job interview. Why all these procedures and complications? Why isn’t the applicant simply hired on the spot and put to work? Because the employer is looking for a worker with certain qualities and qualifications.
Christian stewardship, too, has to do with work and service. It does not require a diploma, but for a steward to be good, he must without a doubt possess certain qualities. In the New Testament we find three qualities that a steward of God must have: faithfulness, blamelessness, and wisdom.
FAITHFULNESS
The first and most important quality of a good steward is faithfulness. In Proverbs 20:6 we read:
6 Many claim to have unfailing love, but a faithful person who can find?
If we were to ask right now in this room, “Is there anyone here who is unfaithful?” — we would hardly see a single hand. If we asked the faithful to raise their hands, we would see a forest of them. In reality, however, our faithfulness never truly shows itself until we are given the opportunity to be unfaithful.
A steward is a man who enjoys the confidence and trust of the owner. And because of this, he is expected to justify the trust placed in him — that is, to be loyal and faithful. The faithful steward carefully carries out all his responsibilities and diligently protects the interests of his master. The unfaithful steward, by contrast, thinks only of his own comfort; he does not respect the owner’s property but on the contrary abuses it — in other words, he “squanders” it (Luke 16:1).
Each of us is a steward of God’s property. And what God requires of us is that we be faithful. “Faithfulness” — this is the fundamental quality and requirement of a good steward. In 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 the apostle Paul says:
1 This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. 2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. (1 Corinthians 4:1-2)
Notice: what is required of stewards is that each one be found — what? “Must prove faithful”!
God expects us not only to be faithful, but to be faithful in the little things. In Luke 16:10 the Lord Jesus said:
10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? (Luke 16:10-11)
The “worldly wealth” spoken of here is mammon — money and other material things. It is called this because the people of this world use it to achieve ends that do not glorify God.
12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? (Luke 16:12)
“Someone else’s property” is everything we have, everything given to us by God and that belongs to Him — money, time, talents.
13 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Luke 16:13)
A Christian cannot be faithful both to money and to God. He cannot be a materialist and an idealist at the same time. To be good spiritual stewards, we must be free from our servitude to “mammon.”
BLAMELESSNESS
Blamelessness can also be described as honesty, wholeness, or integrity — moral purity and completeness of character. In 1 Thessalonians 5:23 the apostle Paul prays:
23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
In Titus 1:7 we read that the overseer, as a steward of God’s work, must be “blameless.”
7 Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. (Titus 1:7)
This means that as an administrator or manager of God’s resources and goods, his conduct must be beyond reproach. He must live in such a way that no one can find anything to seize upon in the attempt to discredit him. In Titus 2:7-8 we read:
7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. (Titus 2:7-8)
Sometimes people can form a bad opinion of the owner because he has a bad steward, since they deal only with the steward and do not know the owner. The owner may be a good and generous man, while the steward may be harsh and stingy. For instance, what would Ruth have thought of Boaz if his steward had not allowed her to gather grain in his field? But the overseer of the harvesters treated her well, just as Boaz himself would have done. And when Boaz came to check on his harvesters and see how the harvest was going, he noticed Ruth gathering sheaves behind the reapers (Ruth 2:5-7).
5 Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, “Who does that young woman belong to?” 6 The overseer replied, “She is the Moabite who came back from Moab with Naomi. 7 She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.’ She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter.” (Ruth 2:5-7)
What would people have thought of Jesus if He had not rebuked His disciples for their rudeness and tactlessness toward the little ones? In Mark 10:13-16 we read:
13 People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them. (Mark 10:13-16)
You see, we are stewards of the gospel, we are God’s stewards. That is why we have the responsibility and the privilege of shaping the image of God in the eyes of people. They judge God and the church by us. That is why, in Romans 2:17-24, the apostle Paul says to the Jews who considered themselves righteous:
17 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; 18 if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19 if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— (Romans 2:17-20)
These words apply to a large degree to us as Christians as well. And especially to those who consider themselves “seasoned believers.” We take pride in the truth we have learned. We regard ourselves as a beacon of godliness shining in the darkness of ungodliness. But do our claims match our conduct?
21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” (Romans 2:21-24)
“God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you!” May God keep us — may we never become the reason someone turns away from God as he watches us who claim to be His followers. Truly, our responsibility is great!
On the other hand, if people see the good things we do as God’s stewards, perhaps they will be more inclined to give praise to the heavenly Owner of everything. In Matthew 5:13-16 Jesus said:
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16)
If faithfulness characterizes the steward’s right conduct toward his master, then blamelessness defines the steward’s right conduct toward other people. Bearing these two qualities in mind, the steward can win the favor of both God and people. When Jesus was growing up, He did exactly this (Luke 2:52):
52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. (Luke 2:52)
Notice, not only in favor with God, but “with God and man.” For God, it matters that what we do be good not only before Him but also before people. In 2 Corinthians the apostle Paul shares that, as a steward of the funds collected to help the church in Jerusalem, he and his colleagues took care to spend the money honestly and accurately — in a way that was honest not only before God but also before people (2 Corinthians 8:20-21).
20 We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. 21 For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man. (2 Corinthians 8:20-21)
This is what the good steward does — he takes pains to do what is right — right “not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.” He is faithful to the Lord and blameless before people.
WISDOM
For a steward to be good, it is essential that he possess not only faithfulness and blamelessness, but also wisdom.
A wise steward will draw the maximum benefit from the resources at his disposal, will avoid losses, will distribute the goods so that needs are met, will keep good accounts, and will make the most of the opportunities entrusted to him. In this way he will protect his master’s interests in the best possible manner.
It is true that a person needs some knowledge of economics in order to be a good manager. Nevertheless, wisdom is not something you can acquire by taking a course. Through education a person can accumulate knowledge, but wisdom comes from God. I have never heard of anyone receiving a diploma certifying him a “wise man.” But the Christian steward can receive wisdom from the wisest of all the wise — God Himself. In James 1:5 we read:
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (James 1:5)
The wisdom the believer will receive from God in order to carry out his stewardship better will surely help him in his work and service. (He will, however, still need to be able to hear God’s voice!)
Joseph is a remarkable example of a wise steward who was educated in God’s school. He prospered in everything he did — first as a manager in the house of Potiphar (Genesis 39:2-4), then as a prisoner (Genesis 39:20-23), and finally as governor under Pharaoh (Genesis 41:38-41). His administration was so good that it saved Egypt and much of the world of that day from death by famine (Genesis 41:57).
2 The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, 4 Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. (Genesis 39:2-4)
20 Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21 the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 22 So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. 23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did. (Genesis 39:20-23)
38 So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?” 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.” 41 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” (Genesis 41:38-41)
57 And all the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe everywhere. (Genesis 41:57)
Truly, this Joseph was a great steward. He possessed all three qualities of a good steward — faithfulness, blamelessness, and wisdom. His wisdom showed itself in that he knew how to make the best use of the goods at his disposal.
In the New Testament we read that Jesus called that steward “wise” who gives the household of his master its allotted food at the proper time (Luke 12:42-44).
42 The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? 43 It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. (Luke 12:42-44)
God expects us to be wise stewards of the goods He has entrusted to us.
And here it is important to note that, as believers, we must have a farther-reaching and deeper perspective regarding our life and our investments. Let us not be like that foolish rich man who knew how to manage the trivial and temporary things but was careless about the things that have eternal value (Luke 12:15-21)!
15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” 16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:15-21)
Let us not store up wealth for ourselves, but be rich toward God! This is what the apostle Paul says too in 1 Timothy 6:17-19.
17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. (1 Timothy 6:17-19)
In Luke 16:1-9 Jesus told the parable of the unfaithful steward. In it we read that “the master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly.” In what did his “shrewdness” consist? In that, realizing he would be dismissed, he used his position to win himself friends who would remain loyal to him in the future. This parable does not encourage dishonesty, but foresight. It does not teach us to be unfaithful like the people of this world, but to be as far-sighted as they are! The steward’s deed is indeed unjust, but it shows wisdom and prudence. The unfaithful steward looks into the future and takes steps to secure himself. The future of a child of God is not on earth, but in the kingdom of God. Just as the steward takes steps to secure friends for the time when he will be out of work, so the Christian must use the property over which he is a steward in such a way as to secure for himself a circle of friends — saved souls — in heaven.
Faithfulness, blamelessness, and wisdom — these are the qualities of a good steward. May God help us to develop them in ourselves, and may we never be put to shame as God’s stewards over the goods and gifts over which He, the Owner of everything, has placed us.