Intrinsic in those restricted definitions is the idea of responsible caretakers, of persons who take good care of the resources in their charge, including natural resources. Similarly, stewardship is defined as doing the job of a steward or, in ecclesiastical terms, as "the responsible use of resources," meaning especially money, time and talents, "in the service of God." Webster's and the Oxford English Dictionary both define a "steward" as an official in charge of a household, church, estate, or governmental unit, or one who makes social arrangements for various kinds of events a manager or administrator. However, literature on the related ideas of sustainability and the land ethic has expanded dramatically in recent years, and these concepts are at the heart of land stewardship. Much of the literature that does exist is limited to a biblical or theological treatment of stewardship. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.Little has been written explicitly on the subject of land stewardship. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. See, here is what belongs to you.’ “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ![]() ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold see, I have gained two more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “The man with two bags of gold also came. See, I have gained five more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things I will put you in charge of many things. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. ![]() To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. Matthew 25:14-29 - The Parable of the Bags of Gold Being a good steward in this world is one way of expressing our love for God and our gratitude to Him. ![]() Our stewardship of creation involves the caretaking of the environment and animals as well as our families and communities. We should accept this responsibility and appreciate God's gift of creation for being our home. This means it is our responsibility to look after and take care of this world. Importance of StewardshipĪccording to scripture, God created Earth for mankind and we are now stewards of His creation. Relating to the biblical stewardship definition - “the manager of a household” - it is clear why Joseph is an extraordinary example of what it means to be a good steward. While Joseph was in the house of his Egyptian master, the Bible says, “So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had” ( Gen. 39).Īfter Joseph was brought to Egypt, the Lord made him a prosperous man. ![]() Joseph's story in Genesis is considered one of the best examples of biblical stewardship ( Gen. God wants human beings to be His stewards in the work of creation, redemption, and sanctification. The Christian steward is not only responsible for the financial blessings provided by God but also the spiritual gifts that are given through the Holy Spirit. In biblical terms, Charles Bugg defines stewardship in the Holman Bible Dictionary as "Utilizing and managing all resources God provides for the glory of God and the betterment of His creation." Christian Stewardship regards the obligation of Christians in managing and utilizing intelligently the gifts that God has given.
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