5 Minute Read

Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

Nehemiah 7
Acts 13:42-14:7

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

Acts 13:46 (CSB): “Paul and Barnabas boldly replied, ‘It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. Since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we are turning to the Gentiles.'”

Reflecting on God’s Word

What would you do if you owned a business and discovered that some of your employees were goofing off at work and using some of the company’s resources for their own personal use? You would confront them, warn them, and maybe fire them if they didn’t straighten up, right?

That’s the stewardship principle. Stewardship is making wise use of what is entrusted to you. If someone entrusts you with their money, you use it for the purpose for which it was given to you. If someone hires you to do a job, you use the time you are on the clock to do the job.

The Bible teaches us much about stewardship. Probably the most popular illustration of stewardship on the pages of Scripture is the Parable of the Talents. It tells us that our Master, Jesus, has given us resources and opportunities to live our lives to further His Kingdom. If we waste what he has entrusted to us, the Parable tells us that it may point to a deep spiritual problem. Simply put, people who live their lives for a cause other than to further the Master’s Kingdom (Matthew 6:33) demonstrate that they probably don’t belong to the King.

The Stewardship Principle is what we observe in Paul’s words in Acts 13:46.

Acts 13:46 (CSB): “Paul and Barnabas boldly replied, ‘It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. Since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we are turning to the Gentiles.'”

These words were in response to how Paul and Barnabas were treated in Antioch of Pisidia and previous locations. The Gentiles were hungry for the Word and wanted more. But the Jews became jealous and did their best to undermine Paul’s message. So, desiring to be a good steward of the life God had given to him, Paul said he wouldn’t waste his time trying to reach people who refused to be reached. He was going to the field of Gentiles that would produce more fruit.

A few chapters later, we read that Paul made this same statement again, that time in Corinth:

Acts 18:6 (CSB): “When they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his clothes and told them, ‘Your blood is on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.'”

Paul was NOT saying that some people were unworthy of the Gospel. He was NOT saying that other people couldn’t reach the group of blasphemers. He was merely saying that he was personally convinced that he was wasting his time; he wasn’t being a good steward of the life God had given to him if he were to try to grow fruit in a field that was so toxic. He believed his time (life) would be better spent working with the Gentiles.

If you or I were a missionary, we might directly apply the principle of stewardship by observing Paul’s example and making our decisions accordingly. But I’m guessing that most of you who read this aren’t missionaries. So, how do we apply the stewardship principle?

Simply put, are you wasting any time that God has given to you? Every second of your life is a gift from God. Are you using each moment wisely for His glory? That doesn’t mean you have to work all the time. Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is take a nap (think about the Sabbath commandment). What must go are the time-wasters that give us no return for our investment.

It may be helpful to log what we do with our time for the next day or two. Be honest about your activities. Then, look over what you have written to see what areas you need to exercise the Stewardship Principle in to make sure the time God has entrusted to you is used wisely.

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to help you accurately assess where you need to be more intentional about wisely using what He has entrusted to you for His glory and your (and others’) good.

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into what the Bible teaches about stewardship, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“What is biblical stewardship?”

Sharing

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Matt Ellis is the pastor of White Hall Baptist Church in Richmond, Kentucky (whitehallbaptistchurch.org)