In my way of think-
ing, “stewardship” means the arrangement of parts to make the whole system work according to its pur- pose. Stewards are those who are authorized by the master to make sure the sys- tem works faithfully for the benefit of all. Stewards are to be wise, trustworthy and accountable. Since money is such an
integral part of life today, s tewardship necess ar- ily involves our decisions about money. For most of us, money is the way we engage in furthering God’s mission in the world. As stewards, we serve as conduits for God’s gifts to flow through us and into the world. And money is the most efficient way for the conduit of gifts to keep flowing.
What does the Bible say about tithing? In general we can say that the Bible commends tithing as a minimum response to the abundance of God’s grace shown to each of us. Honoring God with gifts of one-tenth of our income serves to reinforce our trust in God and to distribute resources to others. In the Old Testament the tithe is
often set aside from the firstfruits of field and flock. Imagine giving away the first lambs born in the spring or the first barley harvest without any concrete assurance that there will be other lambs or barley to come. While the tithing question is often
phrased as “How much should I give to others?” we would do well to con- sider the opposite perspective: “How much should I keep for myself?”
Everyone who tithes, including me, benefits from the giving at least as much as those who receive. The Bible commends tithing because it brings abundant life to both the givers and the receivers.
What are the key teachings of the Bible about stewardship? Normally I spend an entire semester working with students on biblical perspectives on stewardship and the implications for our lives as people of faith. I’ll highlight four points. Our lives as stewards involves all
aspects of our lives, all the time, in every situation. Everything we have is a gift from God. We aren’t the owner of anything, so we make every deci- sion as a steward of divine gifts. Our lives as stewards are to mirror
the life of our Divine Master, filled with grace, mercy, loyalty, compas- sion, forgiveness and generosity. Our lives as stewards of God’s gifts are for
the benefit of the whole system, with special attention to those who are the most vulnerable and to the non- human components of the system. Cheerful generosity is the hallmark of faithful stewardship. The fundamental basis of our
lives as stewards is communal, not individual. Our lives as stewards are interconnected with our lives in the places we worship and learn and serve. As members of the body of Christ, we support and challenge one another in our lives as stewards. Stewardship needs to be part of our regular conversations in our families and faith communities. Our primary attitudes are grati-
tude and humility, gratitude to God for all gifts and humility in the face of God’s abundance. Our reliance for all we need is on God alone. We trust in God’s abundance. We seek to be gen- erous stewards of all of God’s gifts so all creation will know abundant life with God.
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