What is Stewardship: Being Accountable For God’s Property

Luke 16:2. Within Christianity the word “stewardship” can have a broad meaning pertaining to a full range of topics from financial management to the giving of tithes and offerings. The question is what is stewardship. The dictionary definition of stewardship is “a person who manages another's property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another”. The Bible use of the word “stewardship” is much the same as the dictionary definition. Stewardship as it is used in the Bible means “managing the assets that are in one’s care”.

An example of stewardship in the Bible comes from the parable of the unjust steward in the book of Luke. Luke 16:1-2 says, “There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.” In this example the steward was not a good steward, and he was being accused of squandering his master’s goods. Whether a steward is good or bad, what stewardship means is being accountable for a master’s goods.

From a Christian perspective, what stewardship means is that the riches, talents, and resources that we have are not ours, but God’s. God has given us everything that we have in this world. For some of us he has given us a lot and for others not so much. No matter what we have to work with it is God’s expectation that we be good stewards. Our stewardship over God’s resources should result in increase for his kingdom.

LUKE 16 BIBLE SCRIPTURE Luke 16:2, “And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.”