5 PRACTICES OF FAITHFUL FINANCIAL STEWARDS

First Timothy 6:6–8 teaches, “6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we
brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and
clothing, we will be content with that.

5 Practices of Faithful Financial Stewards

We know that a biblical perspective on our finances is based in the awareness that God is the ultimate
owner of everything and has entrusted resources to us to steward, or manage, for Him. Our job, then, is
to be faithful stewards.

It’s easy to talk about faithfulness and to assume we are faithful just because we have the desire to be.
But what does faithful stewardship look like in terms of our day-to-day lives?

For us Christian to wisely handle finances:.

1. Work diligently (work carefully, with full effort, persistent).

God blesses hard work. Throughout the Bible, especially in Proverbs, God commends diligence:

Proverbs 10:4 New International Version (NIV)

4 Lazy hands make for poverty,

but diligent hands bring wealth.

Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor..—Proverbs 12:24

A sluggard’s appetite is never filled,

The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.

—Proverbs 21:5

Diligence (CAREFUL AND PERSISTENT) is a character trait, not a gift. Although God has gifted some
people with sharp business intuition or a natural ability to make wise investments, all of us can develop
diligence.
2. Transfer ownership.

Making a conscious choice to acknowledge God as the owner of our material possessions reminds us
that He is our generous provider.

When we mentally retain the ownership of our resources, we end up eternally bankrupt—if not
financially bankrupt. The sooner we purposefully turn it all over to God and enlist ourselves as His
stewards, the better.

To be faithful in finances, I must operate as the manager, not the owner.

The psalmist proclaims, “The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, the world, and
those who dwell in it” (Ps. 24:1). Jesus pointedly said that our money is not ours, but
“that which is another’s” (Luke 16:12 in context), namely, God’s. God is the true owner
of everything and everyone. Jesus said, “You cannot serve God and mammon” (=
material possessions, riches; Matt. 6:24; Luke 16:13). He clearly means that either God
or money is our master, but not both. There is no middle ground.
Thus one of the fundamental biblical principles in the realm of money is: I do not own
anything; I only manage the money and possessions that God has entrusted to me.
God does not own just ten percent, so that I’m free to spend the rest as I please. He
owns it all, money and possessions. This concept has several ramifications:

A. AS MANAGER OF GOD’S ASSETS, I SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE.

A. AS MANAGER OF GOD’S ASSETS, I SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE.

Paul said that it is required of stewards (managers) that one be found trustworthy (1
Cor. 4:2). I was taught that if I borrow or use something belonging to someone else, I
should treat it more carefully than even my own things, so that I can return it to the
owner in good condition. That is especially true if the owner is God!
Proverbs 27:23-24 exhorts us, “Know well the condition of your flocks, and pay
attention to your herds; for riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to all
generations.” In other words, possessions do not manage themselves. You must take
care of your money and possessions, even if you are a king, or you will lose them. To be
irresponsible with money or things is to be an unfaithful manager.
I’m often shocked by the way that Christian parents fail to teach their children to respect
both their own and others’ property. We built a new church building in California, and I
once saw some boys having a contest to see who could put a scuff mark with their shoes
the highest on the wall! Someone gave me several large bags full of “gummy bears”
candy, which I thought the kids would enjoy. I ended up throwing most of it away,
because instead of eating it, the kids used them for ammunition (so that they got
trampled into the carpet) and for sticking to the walls.

3. Steward efficiently.

This is a two-sided discipline that requires both contentment and discernment.

On one hand, we recognize that being caught up in the proverbial competition with the Joneses or
having our spending determined by our own insatiable appetites is not worth the price. The old adage “a
penny saved is a penny earned” is true, but it can be lived only by those who possess the godly trait of
contentment.

We need to be intentional as we teach the upcoming generations, we need to

pray with them, and build their confidence by putting trust in them. It’s important

to instill in your children that they can live different from the world – but they

must be taught how. While your children are still in your home, cherish the

opportunity to teach them what it means to be a faithful steward.

Have honest discussions with them about real-world scenarios involving their

finances and what the Bible says about it. Larry Burkett often shared that he

opened the family budget to his children so they could see for themselves what it

took to provide for their needs.

First Timothy 6:6–8 teaches, “6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we
brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and
clothing, we will be content with that.

Efficient stewardship requires that we learn to live within our means.

In addition to contentment, we need wise discernment in our budgeting. I’ve known people who were
struggling to purchase groceries and pay their electric bill, all the while maintaining a cable television
subscription. Sometimes we need to step back and evaluate our financial priorities.
4. Save regularly.

As I began my first job of mowing lawns, sa church, sa parents, yung mga leaders insisted that I both
tithe and save. With my payment from each job, I set aside 10 percent for the Lord and 10 percent for
the bank. I’m thankful for learning early the discipline of saving, and I taught my children a similar
principle when they were young.

Some Christians struggle with the idea of saving, because they feel that any unused money in a
particular month should be given away. But Proverbs 11:16 says, “A gracious woman retaineth honour:
and strong men retain riches.”

It is wise to retain—or to save—as long as you remember that your savings belongs to the Lord just as
much as any other possession.

-Viona and Candice, pero nawalan tayo ng savings

Maintain your savings account with an open hand, ready to use that blessing to honor the Lord in
whatever way He directs you.

5. Give generously.

Just as diligence and contentment are disciplines, so is giving. Giving is not a matter of can or can’t, but
of will or won’t. In other words, we will be faithful to give based on our willingness, not on our
prosperity.

This is how the Christians Paul mentioned in 2 Corinthians 8:3 3 For I testify that they gave as
much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own,

Someone once said, “The more passionate our faith, the more consistent our giving.” Our willingness to
give to the Lord is a tangible measure of our love for Him.

God sees far beyond the actual amount of a gift to the heart of the giver. It is our love that He desires—
not our money. Second Corinthians 9:7 makes it clear: “Every man according as he purposeth in his
heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”
In God’s economy, giving to fund God’s work is our opportunity to invest in eternity and to express our
love to the Lord.

George Mueller, a German missionary who opened orphanages in England, wrote, “Let us walk as
stewards and not act as owners, keeping for ourselves the means with which the Lord has entrusted us.
He has not blessed us that we may gratify our own carnal mind, but for the sake of using our money in
His service and to His praise.”

In many ways, financial stewardship is baseline to every other area of stewardship. Speaking of finances,
Luke 16:10–11 points out, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is
unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous
mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?”

Our faithfulness to honor God with our finances prepares our hearts to honor God in every other area.

This post is an excerpt adapted from chapter 9 of the book Stewarding Life: One Lifetime, Limited
Resources, Eternal Priorities, available through Striving Together Publications.