Stewardship

Stewardship

“Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.” 1 Cor. 4:1-2.

Stewardship consists of two essential things: 1) discernment, and 2) faithfulness, both of which are rooted in love. Children lack discernment. Therefore they need to be under a steward. This also applies in the spiritual realm. The extent to which we are children (who lack spiritual discernment) is the extent to which we need to make good use of the others’ faithful stewardship.

Besides the greater stewardship that is exercised by older, spiritual people toward souls who have confidence in them, we can say that all of us exercise, or ought to exercise, a kind of stewardship toward each other to a certain extent: everyone toward those who are younger or weaker than themselves, either entirely or only on certain points.

All stewardship requires that we reflect on, discern, and evaluate, in conjunction with faith-fulness, to serve everything that we think will be of benefit to the person concerned, and nothing else.

Spouting off your opinions and your knowledge, at all times, in any way whatsoever, and in any amount whatsoever, is childishness. This would be completely unacceptable for a steward, for this is the direct opposite of everything that comes under the name of stewardship. It is even contrary to the very idea of stewardship.

A steward has four things to evaluate when he is to serve something:

Stewardship falls into two main categories:

1. Stewardship in the assembly, at meetings, in books and publications, in letters to the entire church. There you have conditions that are common to everyone, and you must take everyone into account at the same time. In this case, full consideration for each individual cannot be exercised. In an assembly, things are being served that are more suitable for some and less suitable for others at that particular moment. But then again not every in-dividual needs to receive it either, since what is being said in the assembly is not addressed personally to anyone in particular.

2. Stewardship toward an individual. This is where stewardship is used to full advantage. When I speak to an individual, he does not have the option to think that it does not concern him. I have to consider only this one person; therefore I can and should consider him ex-clusively. Therefore we ought to think about and carefully choose what and how and how much and when and how often we ought to speak to him.

I should only say that which I am personally convinced the person needs to hear and will benefit from hearing. If I do that, I am a perfect and faithful steward as far as I have progressed.

This is totally different from the usual criticism, reproach, arguing, strife, and bickering that is prevalent among married couples and siblings, as well as others. Every brother should exercise stewardship toward his fellow brothers, a husband toward his wife, and a wife toward her husband, etc.

May all arguing, strife, blaming others, and all kinds of inconsiderate verbiage be replaced by:

stewardship.