Someone may wonder, “Why should I be a good steward?” One reason for being a faithful steward is because it is commanded. In 1 Corinthians 4:2 Paul wrote, “Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful.” If there were no other reason for me to be a faithful steward, this one reason should be sufficient. However, another reason to be a good steward is in order to prove our love for the Lord. One may give and not love, but you cannot love and not give.
When we give to the Lord, we prove the sincerity of our love. (2 Corinthian 8:8) A man once bought himself a new suit and a new pair of shoes. He began to think how much he had spent on himself and decided he ought not to go home without buying his wife something. He stopped at a dry goods store and bought her a dress for $1.98. He carried it home and said, “Here honey, this is how much I love you.” How true to life. This is the way we often treat the Lord. We spend what we want on self and give the Lord a tip and say, “Here Lord, this is how much I love you.”
We also are to be good stewards because this is the way to lay up treasure in heaven. In Matthew 6:19-21 Jesus said, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Since there are no pockets in a shroud, we cannot carry our money with us when we die. But we can send it on ahead by laying our treasures up in heaven.
It is imperative that we be good stewards because this is the only way to provide funds for the work of the church. It is the work of the church to preach the gospel to the lost world. (Mark 16:15) It takes preaching to convert the lost world. (Romans 10:13-17; 1 Corinthians 1:21) And since it takes preaching to preach the gospel to the lost world, preachers have a right to be supported to do the work of preaching. Notice these verses:
“Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:14).
“I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service” (1 Corinthians 11:8).
“Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things” (Galatians 6:6).
With less than one tenth of one percent of the world’s population, members of the New Testament church, how could anyone object to supporting adequately those who preach the gospel? It is also the work of the church to help the needy. (Galatians 6:10; James 1:27)
If we are interested in the church and its program of work, we will willingly invest our time, talent, and money in it and its work. The church that no longer is in need of money is a church that is dead. As long as we are an active, alive, and awake church, it will take faithfulness in stewardship to carry on its work.
Next week we will continue this great Bible topic. May the Lord bless you and keep you!
Billy
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