A steward is another word for a trustee. A trustee is someone who manages property which belongs to someone else.
If you have been in church and heard the pastor speak about stewardship, the pastor probably uses the word as a synonym for tithing. A tithe is certainly an element of stewardship. But stewardship is a far larger concept which does not get the study it truly deserves.
Stewardship as a concept as actually very central throughout the Bible, even though the word itself is not necessarily used. For example, in Genesis 1:28 at the end of the creation account we read, “God blessed them; and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiple, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'”
In this one verse, we understand that
- we did not create anything; God created and entrusted us with His handiwork;
- we are called by God to subdue the earth; God entrusted the management and administration of the earth’s resources to us (like a trustee … or stewardship);
- we are called to rule over the created order; God entrusted to us the management of animals, crops and all living things.
How are we doing? In this course, we will review the key elements of stewardship as we find them in the Bible. We will also discuss how we can best fulfill the calling that God gave us to administer and manage His creation.
As you are going through the course, consider this question: Does how we administer and manage the earth impact our life in God? If it does, then shouldn’t we try to understand what God is asking us to do?
The course is presented in a Bible study format.
