Stewardship, Not Ownership

Not Owners, But Stewards: A Call to Christian Faithfulness

We own nothing.
That’s the truth we must write in stone across our hearts.

Everything we have—money, possessions, time, breath, strength—is on loan from a sovereign God. He created all, owns all, sustains all. We are not owners. We are stewards. And one day, the Master will return and ask what we did with what was His.

“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”
— Psalm 24:1

That includes you. And everything in your pocket.

Stewardship: The Forgotten Foundation

Modern Christians often think in terms of ownership. “My life, my stuff, my time, my truth.” But Scripture shows a different reality: we are managers of what God entrusts to us.

“It is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”
— 1 Corinthians 4:2

We’re not free to use what we’ve been given however we please. We are accountable. Faithfulness is the standard—not comfort, not accumulation, not success. Faithfulness.

Wealth: A Tool, A Test, A Threat

Wealth isn’t evil. But it is dangerous. It deceives, blinds, and competes with God for the heart. Jesus didn’t mince words:

“How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!”
— Luke 18:24

Wealth whispers self-sufficiency. It numbs dependence. It turns stewards into hoarders. In Ezekiel 7:19, riches are called “the stumbling block of their iniquity.” Riches didn't just follow sin—they caused it.

You don’t have to be rich to be ruled by money. The poor can lust after it, and the rich can be destroyed by it.

We must hold it loosely, and use it freely—for the Kingdom.

Tithing: A Starting Point, Not a Ceiling

Tithing—giving 10%—was part of Israel’s covenant law. It supported priests, the poor, and national worship. It was required.

But in the New Testament, there is no command for Christians to tithe. Instead, we’re called to something higher:

“Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”
— 2 Corinthians 9:7

Giving in Christ is voluntary, joyful, sacrificial, and Spirit-led. 10% may be a good baseline. But grace doesn't lower the bar—it raises it. The widow gave all she had. Barnabas sold land. The Macedonians gave in their poverty.

If your giving doesn’t cost you, stretch you, or make you depend on God—it may not be obedience.

Freely You Have Received, Freely Give

Jesus said:

“Freely ye have received, freely give.”
— Matthew 10:8

You received grace. Mercy. Forgiveness. Life. You didn’t earn any of it. So now, hold your money and your life with an open hand. Give, not out of guilt, but out of gratitude. You’re not earning God’s favor—you’re expressing it.

You’re not giving to meet a quota. You’re investing in eternity.

We Will Give Account

Let this sink in: everything God entrusts to you, you will give account for.

“So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”
— Romans 14:12

That includes your resources, your opportunities, and your time.

Time: The Most Wasted Gift

Time is perhaps the most wasted of all the things God gives. But we are not its owners either.

“My times are in Thy hand...”
— Psalm 31:15

“Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
— Ephesians 5:16

We don’t know how much we have. Our life is a vapor—appearing for a little while and vanishing. We must redeem the time—buy it back—before the enemy steals it in scrolls, shows, distractions, and triviality.

The Steward’s Daily Mindset

Every morning, say:

“Lord, I own nothing. Not my time, not my money, not even my breath. It’s all Yours. Help me to use it today as a faithful steward.”

That changes everything.

You stop asking, “What do I have to give?”
You start asking, “How much am I allowed to keep?”

You stop living for retirement.
You start living for the return of the King.

You stop seeing giving as a loss.
You start seeing giving as worship.

Faithfulness, Not Fortune

The world measures success by what you keep.
God measures it by what you give.

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth... But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven... For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
— Matthew 6:19–21

We are eternal investors. The currency of heaven is not dollars, but souls, obedience, faith, and love.

The Final Word

In the end, Jesus won’t say, “Well collected, well saved, well planned.”
He will say:

“Well done, good and faithful servant...”
— Matthew 25:21

That’s what we’re living for.

You are not an owner.
You are a steward.
Live like it.
Give like it.
Spend time like it.
Die ready to give an account.

And may He find you faithful.