What is Stewardship?
About 9 minutes, plus hands-on activity and discussion.
Think about it
Wow! You’ve completed the first 20 lessons of Money Explorers! Way to go! We’ve learned that money is a tool we trade for things we need and want. We’ve also explored ways to earn money at home, and how to earn it honestly and with integrity. Now, we’re ready for the final 10 lessons of this course, where we’ll discover what to do with the money we earn.
Just like money, God trusts us with many things in life. When someone trusts you with something, it means they believe you’ll take care of it wisely.
Let’s Learn
Can I Borrow that?
Imagine your best friend lets you borrow their favorite video game, toy, or bike. How would you treat it? Would you take good care of it and make sure it didn’t get broken? Or would you toss it around like it didn’t matter?
Now imagine your parents give you a pet to look after such as a dog, fish, or hamster. That animal depends on you for food, water, and care. If you forget, the pet could get sick. But if you’re careful and loving, the pet stays healthy and happy.
Here’s the big question: What if everything we own such as our toys, money, talents, even the world around us, really belongs to God, and we’re just borrowing it for a little while?
That’s what stewardship is all about. It’s recognizing that God is the true owner of everything, and He’s trusted us to take care of it. Just like you’d want to return your friend’s bike in great condition, God asks us to use His gifts wisely so we honor Him and bless others.
What Stewardship Means
The word “steward” in Greek is oikonomos (pronounced oy-kon-om-os), which means “house manager” or someone who manages what belongs to someone else. A steward doesn’t own the property; he takes care of it wisely for the owner.
The Bible reminds us in Psalm 24:1 that “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” This means nothing we have really belongs to us. Everything belongs to God first, and we are managers of His gifts.
We saw this with Joseph in a previous lesson. Joseph became the steward of Potiphar’s house. Potiphar trusted him so much that Joseph managed everything. The Bible says Potiphar didn’t have to worry about anything except what he was going to eat! That’s the kind of trust a good steward earns.
Stewardship of More than Money
Stewardship is about being a responsible caretaker of the gifts God has given to us such as money, time, talents, relationships, and even the earth. These things come from Him, but they still belong to Him, and He trusts us to use them wisely.
Stewardship means using money in a way that honors God, not just spending it on whatever we want. It also means spending our time well instead of wasting it, because each hour is a gift from Him. God has given us special skills and abilities, so stewardship includes using our talents to serve others and do good. Finally, stewardship means taking care of creation, which includes the animals, nature, and the world around us, because the earth belongs to God too.
Wise stewardship prepares us for bigger opportunities in the future, just like Joseph.
Stewardship of Money
Since this course is about money, we’re going to look at what it means to be wise stewards of money. For the remaining lessons of this course we will be learning how to spend, save, give, and invest the money that we have earned.
For you, this means:
- Developing self-control so money is your tool, not your treasure.
- Choosing to spend carefully, thinking about needs versus wants.
- Practicing saving to prepare for your future needs.
- Giving generously to people in need and to causes that honor God.
- Investing wisely so your money grows and can be used for good things in the future.
In the upcoming lessons we’ll learn how to use money in ways that provide for ourselves, bless others, and honor God.
Words to Know
Stewardship is taking care of something that belongs to someone else.
A steward is a person who takes care of something that belongs to someone else.
Let’s Play!
Drag And Drop
Instructions: Is it good stewardship or not? Drag the words into the correct category.
Bible Time
“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” —Psalm 24:1
This verse reminds us that absolutely everything belongs to God, including the land, the seas, the animals, and even us. We might think of our toys, money, or talents as “ours,” but really they are gifts that God has entrusted to us for a little while. That means we are caretakers, or stewards, of His creation. Our job is to use what He has given us wisely, to honor Him and to bless others.
With Your Grown-Up
If a grown-up or parent is nearby, spend a minute to discuss one or more of these topics.
Hands On
Put learning into action! Download the activity and dive into a fun, practical way to explore today’s lesson.
What we Learned
Today we learned that everything belongs to God, and we are His caretakers. When we use our money, time, talents, and the world around us wisely, we honor Him and show we can be trusted. This has been God’s plan since the very beginning, when He told Adam in Genesis 2:15 to work and take care of the garden.
Check Your Understanding
High-Five!
Hit play for your end-of-lesson video!