Stewardship

The Christian is called to a life of stewardship. All of one’s life, all of one’s talents, all of one’s time and all of one’s material things come from and belong to God. It is both prudent and biblical to plan for one’s future.

As one who has received difficult medical news—“I’m sorry to say this, but you have cancer”—I identify with Hezekiah:

In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.’” Then he turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the Lord, saying, “Remember now, O Lord, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. (2 Kings 20:1-3)

“Set your house in order”: Final affair planning is just this—setting one’s house in order!

Read Part 1.

Few will go through life never needing or using credit. Christians use credit to finance education, acquire a vehicle or provide a mortgage for a new home. We are also every day credit users when we swipe the credit card for a minor or major purchase.

It wasn’t too many years ago that my wife and I would purchase traveler’s checks for a vacation trip. My wife would have the traveler’s checks in her purse; I would have the receipt for the traveler’s checks in my wallet. We would take several hundred dollars out of the bank and divide that between husband and wife.

Anymore, we use a surprisingly little amount of cash a year—perhaps as little as $80 per month. Everything else goes on a credit card.

“It’s really amazing that in the age of unbelief, as a smart man called it, there isn’t even more fraud. After all, with no God, there’s no one to ever call you to account, and no accounting at all if you can get away with it.” (Ben Stein¹)

Luke 16:11, “Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?”

John 10:10, “The thief…come[s] to steal.”

(About this series)

CHAPTER V - OUR LORD’S TEACHINGS ABOUT MONEY

BY ARTHUR T. PIERSON