What is Stewardship?

By definition, stewardship is organizing or taking care of something, whether it be an organization or a property.

The Church’s definition of stewardship falls right in line with this idea, claiming that stewardship is a huge underlying theme of Scripture. The book also refers to stewardship as a summary of the Christian life.

What? Wow! That is a small word to underlay all of the Christian lifestyle and what is expected of us as Christians.

As I got into reading this little book more, I understood why this word was so impactful in my everyday life. Jesus is asking me to be a steward every day, in some way. Whether it be big or small, this word could help me see a fresh new take on life.

Why I didn’t really understand what God Was Asking of Me

I must say, I never knew why stewardship was so important. Most times, I figured if I took care of myself and my own personal responsibilities, the world would go on as usual. And it does.

But it doesn’t mean that the world isn’t impacted by what I do.

Because it is. Everything that I do, whether it be in the privacy of my own home or not, effects others. Maybe not directly, but certainly in a way that sometimes we cannot even understand. In short, if we are not proper stewards of ourselves, this earth, and our interactions with society and others, the world cannot become a better place.

I am failing to do my part.

We all have an immense purpose in this world. We are all made to give back to others so that the world can thrive, instead of just survive.

How do you think of your everyday life? Does it feel boring, uninspired, and repetitive? How do you feel when you do something that is the opposite of that? Alive? Happier? Excited?

This is part of stewardship. Giving of ourselves and our talents to create a more pleasant world (not just for ourselves, but for everyone in the world!)

Everything we have is his, why not give it back?

Stewardship is….Time, Talent, & Treasure

When I attended church while in college, our pastor would always talk about Time, Talent, and Treasure. It seemed like he mentioned is every other week. To be honest, it almost drove me nuts. But as I am coming to understand the value in each of these aspects of life, it only seems fitting that God gets the first piece of me, so he can spread it in ways that I could only imagine.

Time – How should we really spend it?

We all need to make better use of our time, right? It seems that time is always something we wish we had more of. I’m sure God feels the same way, wishing we would make more time for Him and his works. Since time is so precious, it is an invaluable way to serve God and others by giving of our time to them and to the causes which stand worthy.

Note: it probably doesn’t include planning a binge-watching night of your favorite show. A lot of fun, but a huge time-waster when it comes to improving the world around us.

Talent – How will you give to others with your gifts?

Of all the types of people in this world, we all have different abilities and talents that are made to shine in the appropriate situations. With my love for singing and music, I have found myself using my talent to serve the Church through music. You may have a completely opposite talent that allows you to be the best encourager to others, or a counselor or teacher or leader or inspirer. There are thousands of ways you can use your talent to better your life and the lives of others.

Tip: Sit down and brainstorm, what am I good at? What do others ask me for help with? How can I serve God with my gifts?

Treasure – Where is your money going?

This is a big one, and yet we are all very tight with where we place our money these days. I totally understand that mindset, but I also believe that giving your money to God and to the Church is the first thing you should think about. All other expenses and needs will be adequately met when you give your share to the work of God.

So many of us are careful about where and how much money we spend. That is good stewardship!

However, it is also good stewardship to give at least 10% of all your income back to the Lord. Again, I believe everything we have really belongs to Him, so he should get a cut of it at least, right?

Stewardship is…Care of Ourselves, the Earth, and its creatures

Even more of what stewardship encompasses, we as human beings must be sure to take care of ourselves. Not only ourselves, but the Earth we live on, and the creatures that live here with us.

I find this idea a bit harder to comprehend because there simply are some creatures I would prefer never set foot in my house or be even around me (like snakes, spiders, cats, mice, mosquitos, and even on occasion ants).

Everything on this created earth has a purpose. All part of an amazing ecosystem that runs so smoothly that most of us don’t even stop to notice. Do you ever think about how your body essentially runs itself? How it knows how to automatically breathe and process and work? It is incredible.

I think another big part of stewardship is recognizing the power of God in the creation and taking care of it as He would expect us to.

Related articles: 

8 Ways to Not Find Happiness

How To Create a Prayerful morning Routine

10 Ways Saying the Rosary Can Change Your Life

The One Mistake You Are Making When You Pray

21 Activities To Do Instead of Watching Television

8 Effective Ways to Enhance Your Spirituality

3 Catholic Ways to Combat Loneliness

Practical Ways to Apply Stewardship to Your Life

• Consider how you really spend your time. Is it in a way that would bring glory and praise to our Creator? Does it help others? Are you being productive and organized?
• Find something that you can do to give back in your parish. Whether it be getting involved in lay ministry, music ministry, Bible studies, teaching Catechism classes, or even just visiting the sick and imprisoned. What speaks to your heart? How can you give back to your church community?
• If you have inabilities that hinder what you can do physically or mentally, consider becoming a prayer warrior for others. You can help them with encouraging words and living Jesus to others.
• How can you feed God’s sheep? It really is about using your gifts and talents to better others’ lives, so that your own is full and joyful.
• Set aside a chunk of money to give to the Church each week, or to give to certain charities that you feel called to give to. Giving back to God’s mission in our world can go farther than you know!

Resources for Your Own Stewardship research

• This beautiful Little Burgundy Book in light of the Gospel of John is a great place to start!
• Living a Stewardship Way of Life from Ascension Catholic
• Pope Francis: Happiness in this Life from the Catholic Company
• JOY Challenge – a challenge I created to help you find more joy in 7 days! Email series sent right to your inbox.

Are you practicing stewardship?

Write down all of the ways in which you are committing your time, talent, and treasure back to God and his creatures. If you feel like you can do more, do it! If you feel like you can honestly say that you are already doing this, wonderful! You are helping this world become a better place truly.

From giving to others our time, helping others with our talents, and committing our treasure to God, we will have gained everything. Living a stewardly life is a gift to God, others, and self. I really believe that.

If you feel like you need a push in choosing Joy in your life, please join my 7-day JOY Challenge!