Bible on BusinessSample

Stewardship: Part I

This passage is one of Jesus’ most intriguing parables and is about the stewardship of three servants.

In the parable, the master goes on an extended trip and entrusts specific investments to servants who were expected to be entrepreneurial with the funds and earn a profit for the master to be presented upon his return.

This arrangement would have been familiar for those in the audience, as this practice was a common way for property owners to continue to earn money while away. The owner would keep most of the profit from new ventures, but the servant could gain the respect of their master as well as a meaningful return if the master was impressed.

Two servants acted with integrity and loyalty by being good stewards of their master’s investment. However, the final servant was too lazy and ignorant to even consider earning interest off the investment in a bank account.

The important distinction is these men were stewards, not owners.

We should be living our lives from the same perspective; we do not own anything, but are blessed to be stewards of God’s resources. We should begin to see all we own as God’s and use whatever He has entrusted us with for His gain. We should consider our time, talents, and most importantly our treasure to be leveraged for our master’s gain upon his return.

Specifically in business, we should strive to use the skills and opportunities God has afforded us to produce excellent work.

How can you be a better steward of the resources God has entrusted to you?

Tomorrow’s devotional will offer a practical example from business on the topic of stewardship to help us make this concept more tangible.

Chris Chancey serves with HOPE International and is CEO of Amplio Recruiting. Follow along with Chris on Twitter at @chrischancey.