Stewardship in the home, environments of grace, and possessions have been good and are expected of us as Christians to understand. We are a steward to take care of our homes as parents, take care of the environments we live in, take the grace of God as important as our soul, and use our possessions to have an impact on other people.
We shall discuss stewardship and home, stewardship and environments, stewardship of His grace, and stewardship of possessions.
1. A STEWARD AND HIS HOME
Read Joshua 24: 15 NIV
He is not a good steward who fails at his home front. An adage in Yoruba says “Le lati maa n ko so lo si ode.” – Charity begins at home. Home is a gift from God.
What the Bible says about a family
Read and get the information (Proverbs 18: 22). By implication, he who finds a good husband finds God’s favor too. Read too Psalm 127: 3 . Have you contemplated Psalm 127: 1 which says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.” Note that the above scripture passages include husband, wife, children, and physical structure which are a dwelling place for the home.
God’s mandate for a family
God has a purpose for the state of being single or married. He cares for the widows and the widowers. Just as he echoed words through Pharaoh’s daughter when she said, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.”
So the woman took the baby and nursed him,” the Lord has a reward for all faithful parents because He owns the children. He would reward faithful spouses because He is the principal third party to every marriage covenant (Malachi 2: 14). Holiness and faithfulness unto God are imperative in whatever state or situation one is in life.
Lesson
Parents are a steward over their children; teach them the way of the Lord. Husbands and wives are stewards to each other; help your weaknesses to become what God wants your family to be.
Prayer
Pray for the salvation of all your children.
2. A STEWARD AND HIS ENVIRONMENT
Read Genesis 2: 15 NIV
God created all things beautifully and purposefully. He delegates the responsibility of management to man. Read the idea in Genesis 1: 28 and meditate on it. Read Genesis 2: 15 which is the golden text that should be harmonized.
How do you know a fruitful steward?
Fruitful stewards have oversight responsibility over other creatures around them. All other creatures are as sacred in their class as he/she is. This is not to suggest that a Christian should be a pantheist – believe that everything composes of an all-encompassing, immanent God but there is the hand of God in everything.
Man must relate creation with the consciousness that God has a master plan for His creation. Alteration of the plan must be done in such a way that He would be pleased. A careless alteration of the divine plan would always have consequences.
Our commitment to our environments
Bush burning and smoldering the entire forest because of small rats would have consequences. Similarly, water pollution, the dropping of refuse in the stream, and constructions that block waterways must have their consequences. If you alter God’s order for His creation, you will suffer for it.
Lesson
God asked the man to keep His creatures. He did not say destroy them. But “for millions of years, on average, one species became extinct every century… We are now heaving more than a thousand different species of animals becoming endangered species. Let’s follow the instructions of God.
Prayer
Pray to follow God’s instruction and be friendly with creatures.
3. STEWARDSHIP OF HIS GRACE
Read Ephesians 2: 8-9 NIV)
Man is saved by grace. A synonym of this idea is that man is saved not by his effort but through the sacrifice which Jesus has made available through His death. And it is one of the most important. Some people define grace as forgiveness. Some people define grace as good manners and some people define grace as mercy. None of these are good definitions of grace.
What grace means and how to apply it
Grace means gift. It is free from God which manifests itself in the lives of all submissive believers and shows forth in fruit bearing. (1 Corinthians 12 and Galatians 5: 22-23). When we speak of God’s grace, we mean all the good gifts we enjoy freely in life.
It cost God to make grace available for all. It is costly because it cost God the life of the Son: “ye were bought at a price.” Therefore, it must be valued; it must be cherished. Be a good steward of God’s grace.
Lesson
The essence of grace is that the account has been paid in advance and because it has been paid. Enjoy the grace forever.
Prayer
Thank God and appreciate Him for His grace today as you set aside a few minutes to worship Him.
4. STEWARDSHIP OF POSSESSIONS
Read 2 Corinthians 9: 6 NIV
Today’s text could be divided into two. They are instructions and blessings. God instructs His children to sow bountifully. The idea of sowing is used to present teaching on giving to God. Children of God are to give generously, willingly, cheerfully, and expectantly.
What is the characteristic of giving?
Giving, which is characterized by such attitudes is an aspect of the good deed which merits the commendation in Romans 15: 58. Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
What are the rewards of a giver?
On the hand, there is a priestly benediction or blessing perhaps on those that gave faithfully, generously, and willingly. It begins with a statement of fact: God can provide, and He can bless beyond imagination. The text further declared that that is the nature of God in verses 9 and 10a. The blessing continues in verses 10b to 11. Read the text yourself and claim the blessings.
John Bunyan said, “You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” Have you had an impact on anybody today?
Prayer
Pray to God to give you the grace to do something to someone who can never repay you. Do not let your grace live me.
