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 What
is Stewardship? A Simple Explanation
What is Stewardship? “Follow Me,” Jesus
simply but powerfully commanded of the Apostles and they did. That call
is made to us as well on this day and in this time. How do we follow
Jesus? We try to live our lives as he did – the example of the perfect
steward. Stewardship is discipleship. It is the care and use of all that
we have been given by God and is often explained in terms of talent,
treasure and time. Why? Because communication requires that a message is
sent and received and explaining stewardship in simple terms is more
effective. Here is a way to look at these aspects of stewardship.
Talent
We are all blessed with so many talents and
yet we may not know they exist. Talents are found in your personality,
your interests and in your skills. Those who love interacting with
people, love to talk and love to be with groups have incredible talents
to assist with evangelization. Those who are skilled in trades or have
professional abilities are gifted with talents that can support not only
a church, but also charitable works throughout the community. Your
skills and knowledge can be put to curing many ills in our society. Your
use of talent for the work of God is one of the most personally
fulfilling opportunities of your lifetime. Payment in a smile, in relief
of suffering or in lending a hand to someone in desperate need is
greater than any material payment you will ever receive.
Treasure
Treasure is a gift and also a burden.
We become consumed with material goods. Yet, life can be lived very
simply if we choose. It is not wrong to enjoy many of the amazing
luxuries life has to offer. However, justice requires us to consider the
needs of others as we enjoy the gifts we have been given. To some, food
and housing has become a luxury they are unable to obtain. Our use of
treasure to support the charitable works of the church helps to bring
justice and equity to the world. Charity is not a tax. It should be
given freely because we understand and believe in the end result of our
giving of financial support to any ministry. Treasure is measured not
only in what we give to the church but also in what we provide to other
charitable efforts in our community. The biblical tithe or 10% for God’s
work includes all of your charitable giving. In light of this, many
people are very generous and should feel good about what they do. What
should you give? There is no one answer, but we should all give
according to what we have been given. Rather than gifts of equal size,
gifts should be based on equal sacrifice. For example, those who earn
minimum wage will find it difficult to provide even basic living needs
for themselves and for their family. This financial responsibility is a
priority but it may still be possible to be a good steward in terms of
time and talent. For many others, it is very possible to make a
financial gift. A gift that is truly a sacrifice is a gift out of our
need, not just our excess. Only you and God know what is fair but one
way to know when you are making the right gift is when you stop making
excuses for its size and stop trying to rationalize why it is enough.
Time
The gift of time is just that – a gift. None
of us know exactly how much time we have been granted on this earth. In
the time that we have, we are asked to use that time effectively by
continuing the mission of Jesus Christ throughout our days. Each day has
24 hours and consists of time at work, time at rest and time with family
and friends. We sleep about 8 hours a day on average, work about 8 hours
and therefore have 8 hours for “other things." At rest, we sleep or at
least try, so that we may regain strength for our next day. Sleep is
essential in considering the body as a temple. In addition to sleep,
doing what we can to keep our bodies healthy and strong helps us lead
productive lives on behalf of God. At work, our professions should help
develop a better world – in some way – while how we work should better
us personally in many ways. Your interaction with colleagues, customers,
employees, employers and others should be conducted in the spirit of the
second of God’s great commandments “love thy neighbor as we love
ourselves.” This includes the often stressful drive to and from work!
Our last eight hours of the day are filled with so much at home or with
friends and neighbors. Family responsibility is so important and a major
part of that is faith formation. Both at church and at home, we are
responsible for handing on the faith to future generations. How we
interact with people in front of children teaches valuable lessons on
how to live. Our participation at Mass and in ministries prepares a
roadmap for ourselves and those with whom we have influence on how to
lead a Christ-centered life.
Time is fleeting. Make the most of yours by
using all of your gifts to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
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