“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:28)
God’s first words to humanity are about stewardship. While the creation was still good, before it was tainted by human sinfulness, God commissions humanity to be stewards of his creation.
God’s command associates stewardship with words like “multiply,” “subdue,” and “dominion.” These words suggest that God has granted us incredible power over his creation. Some are understandably fearful of such power. They see the corruption of that power, and the desolation and destruction that follows. Their timidity, however comprehensible, leads to inaction. Stewardship becomes small-minded.
Too often, we limit our discussion of stewardship to budgets and financial receipts. We see stewardship as a struggle to preserve the status quo. However, our calling is not merely to maintain the church and her ministries, preserving them as they were decades ago. Our work is more than dusting and cleaning spills. We are called to stand with God against the chaos. We become co-creators with God.
As individuals and as a congregation, we should evaluate our calling to be God’s stewards. Is it marked by timidity? Is it an effort merely to maintain the status quo? Instead, our stewardship should always be measured by faithfulness and fruitfulness. Let us use God’s blessings to be a blessing and a witness to the world.
Grace & Peace,
James
