Recently, I listened to a short radio program from Chuck Bentley of Crown Financial Ministries. He was talking about the fact that the Bible describes God as generous and that creation reflects this generosity. The trees give off oxygen for us to breathe, the sun produces heat and light, clouds provide rain, and vegetation provides food. The list goes on. The way that God has created the world reflects his character and displays his generosity.
Chuck encouraged his listeners to look for opportunities to be generous, just like God is generous. Reflecting on this, I began to think about how generosity can be considered a subset of stewardship. A steward is tasked to manage entrusted resources on behalf of the owner, with the same mindset as the owner, and for the benefit of the owner.
We have been entrusted with many resources. Typically, material resources are the first things that come to mind when we think about managing resources. We are also entrusted with managing a number of other valuable resources including our actions, our thoughts, our words, and our attitudes. It’s not always easy to be generous in our relationships with people.
There are many factors that impact the way we respond to a person’s need. It’s helpful to remember that all I am and all that I have has been entrusted to me to manage for as long as I live. Here is the challenge I take away from this: As a faithful steward of these resources, both material and intangible, I need to reflect the heart of the Owner, “to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” – I Timothy 6:18
