Stewardship

https://odb.org/MY/2022/08/04/the-privilege-of-stewardship

We can see from Genesis 1 that as human beings we were supposed to rule over the fish in the sea, the birds that fly and every living creature that moves on the ground. This means that humans were created above all other animals and living creatures and we know that because God created us in His image. In His image in the sense we are also spiritual beings and we share His character like having a kind, loving and merciful nature and disposition or at least we are capable of that! Of course we know the serpent came and disrupted all that with sin and now although we are still above all other creatures on earth, we don’t have dominion over them. Given a chance, the carnivores among them will attack and devour us. We are after all still food to them!

As we were supposed to have dominion over the animals and creatures of the earth, in a sense we are like stewards of them. We are their guardians and shepherds the same way God is our guardian and shepherd. That is why the writer of today’s ODB argues that as humans, we have a responsibility and obligation to care for the welfare of the animals and creatures of the earth. I do not disagree with the writer but for this morning, I like to point out another facet of our stewardship.

As much as we are stewards of God’s creation that we originally had authority over, we are also stewards over our God-given talents and giftings. The talents, giftings and skills God have blessed us over the years with or that we were born with, we need to harness and hone them all for the Kingdom of God. We need to make sure we are contributing to His causes, making use of our God-given talents and giftings and skills. We need to be good stewards of our talents, giftings and skills – never shy to use them to bless others and glorify His name. Never shy away from glorifying Him because we recognise that it was God who gave us all that. Speak for God if we have the gift of the gab or sing for God if God had blessed us with a sweet and melodic voice. Write for Him if we are good at writing and preach for Him if that’s our passion. Disciple people if that is our gifting or plant churches if that is our calling. Our time on earth is limited, whatever we want to do for God, do it now, do it today. Time and tide wait for no man. We don’t have all the time in the world to do what God has put in our hearts to do for Him. Just go out and do it now and in the process we will be good stewards of our God-given talents, giftings and skills!