How to Live Out Practical Everyday Stewardship

The Bible mentions stewardship and generosity over 2,300 times.^[1] It’s clearly a theme that God wants us to focus on, but it’s all too easy to neglect it. If you’re not familiar with stewardship, it’s recognizing that all we have comes from God and ultimately belongs to him. We are called to manage it for his glory. But how do we practically live out stewardship in our busy, day to day lives?

One way is by taking inventory of your resources, relationships, and time. Then ask yourself, “Am I using them for the kingdom?”

Let’s break it down.

Resources

Your resources are your money, home, vehicle, iPhone, and anything else you own. If you’re a believer in Christ, these possessions aren’t yours. They’re on loan from God for you to manage for his glory.

How can you be a wise steward of your resources?

• Tithe. One primary way you can be a godly steward of your resources is by tithing 10% of your gross income to your local church. Your first and best belongs to him. The tithe is the firstfruits, so it should be the first thing that comes out of your bank account do when you get paid.
• Be Generous. Just because you’re tithing doesn’t mean you’re living open-handedly and giving whenever and whenever you see a need. I say all the time that the tithe is just the floor of your giving, not the ceiling. If you don’t know what the needs are around you, get involved! Build relationships with other believers. Ask your church how you can help others financially.
• Sacrifice. If you don’t have money to give, then consider selling some of your possessions and giving the proceeds away. Jesus said, “Sell your possessions, and give to the needy” (Luke 12:33). I bet you’ve never heard a sermon on this verse! The first Christians took this to heart and sold property and possessions in order to help others in need (Acts 2:44-45).

Relationships

Stewardship is about more than how you manage your money. It also includes relationships. Every person God has brought into your life is there for a purpose. If nothing else, view each person as the “neighbor” God has called you to love “as you love yourself” (Mark 12:30-31).

• Pray. One of the best—and often neglected—ways to steward the relationships God has given you is to pray. It’s so easy to brush someone off and say, “I’ll pray for you.” Don’t just say it. Do it. Write it down. Set a reminder on your phone. Lift others up to God. Then take action to encourage or serve that person as the Spirit leads.
• Practice Hospitality. There are so many Christian articles and books out there today on how hospitality can change everything. Open your home. It’s biblical. This is more than just opening your home—although that is part of it. Have any members of your church seen the inside of your home? But it’s about having an inviting presence. Taking someone a meal. Visiting someone in the hospital or nursing home. The possibilities are endless.
• Serve. Our culture is hyper focused on self, including using others to get your own needs met. It sees friendships and even family relationships as disposable. But the Bible goes to the other extreme. Jesus commanded us to love those who can never repay us (Luke 14:12-14). Instead of asking, “What can I get out of this friendship/relationship? Am I getting what I need?” consider asking, “How can God use me to bless this person today?” Start with your closest relationships like your spouse and work outwards.
• Meditate on Scripture. You may not realize how much the Bible has to say about how to relate to and treat those around you. There are 59 “one another” commands in Scripture, like “love one another” (John 13:34). I encourage you to find a list of them. Pray through one command each week, and it will get you through the year and then some. There’s nothing like the Word of God to encourage you to steward your relationships wisely and lovingly.

Time

You can get more money and more resources, but you’ll never get back lost time. We don’t often think of time as something to wisely steward. But God calls us to be intentional in our daily, weekly, and monthly rhythms for his glory. Ephesians 5:15-16 says,“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”

• Quiet Time. Spend time with the Lord every day in prayer and Bible reading. If you say, “Andrew, I don’t have time,” that’s not true. Americans spend almost 4.5 hours on their cell phones each day. This equates to spending over two months on your phone per year.^[2] Let that sink in. The reality is that you have time to set aside for the Lord daily. You’re just spending it on your phone instead.
• Attend Church. Stewarding your time wisely means church attendance isn’t a one-time event. Invest in a local body of believers. Be intentional. To build a faith community, you have to show up.
• Volunteer. Donate your time to ministry in your church or volunteer in your local community. Studies show that volunteering your time not only makes you happier, but improves your overall mental health if done consistently.^[3]
• Discipleship. Spend time helping other believers grow spiritually, whether one-on-one or in a small group, and you’ll find your own spiritual growth increasing dramatically.

Summary

It’s clear that stewardship is being generous with our resources, relationships, and time.

Stewardship is not an option, but a requirement. We will all stand before God and be accountable to him for how we’ve managed what he’s graciously entrusted to us (1 Corinthians 3:11-13). I’ll be the first to admit that practical, everyday stewardship is hard. It’s uncomfortable. We’re weak and don’t have the strength to obey on our own. That’s why we have the Holy Spirit to help us. I encourage you to identify the areas where you’re the weakest, then ask for help. He is our Helper, and he will respond when we call upon him and say, “God, I can’t do this on my own. Help me. I need you.”

[1] https://www.securegive.com/20-bible-verses-about-stewardship/#:~:text=There%20are%20over%202%2C300%20verses,biblical%20principles%20to%20His%20children.

[2] https://www.reviews.org/mobile/cell-phone-addiction/#:~:text=On%20average%2C%20Americans%20have%20a,and%2054%20minutes%20in%202022.

[3] https://communitytechnetwork.org/blog/research-shows-that-volunteering-makes-us-happier/#:~:text=Not%20only%20does%20volunteering%20makes,in%20bettering%20your%20whole%20community.