11 Traits of Good Stewardship in Scripture
Stewardship is an old word referring to the role or responsibility of managing something for someone else.
The role of steward was common during biblical times and is often used as an example of the Christian’s relationship to God. That is, everything belongs to God and we are to manage it and treat it not as our own, but as His.
Good stewardship isn’t just about money. It’s an orientation toward God that presumes certain character traits and attitudes toward His resources:
Trustworthiness
1 Corinthians 4:1-2 NIV
”This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.”
Respect for the Role
Romans 14:12 NIV
”So then each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.”
Initiative & Trusting the Master’s Goodness
Matthew 25:14-30 NIV
“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.…”
Wisdom and Sobriety
Ephesians 5:15-18 NIV
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit…”
Generosity of Spirit
2 Corinthians 9:6-7 NIV
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”
Gratitude and Respect
Deuteronomy 8:17-18
You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.”
Colossians 3:17 NIV
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Shrewdness
Luke 16:1-8 NIV
“Jesus told his disciples: ‘There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’ The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’ So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’…”
Care of Others
Acts 20:35 NIV
“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
Ephesians 4:28 NIV
“Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.”
Leviticus 19:9-10 NIV
“When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God..”
Healthy Attitude Toward Money
1 Timothy 6:6-10 NIV
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
Matthew 6:20 NIV
“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal..”
2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV
“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Focus on Spirituality
1 Timothy 4:14 NIV
“Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.”
1 Peter 4:10-11 NIV
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
Soberness in Parenting
Proverbs 22:6 NIV
“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”
Care for the Earth
Genesis 1:28
“God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Good Stewardship is a Way of Life
As you can see “good stewardship” is a way of life that honors God and all those we come in contact with or are charged with caring for. While it includes giving of our means to God, that is just one aspect of how we steward our money and other resources.