David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, “Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth are yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.”
1 Chronicles 29:10-14
He saw through their duplicity and said to them, “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
“He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
Luke 20:23-25
Stewardship is defined as “a person who acts as a surrogate of another or others, especially by managing property, financial affairs, an estate, etc.” and “the responsible overseeing and protection of something considered worth caring and preserving.”
We are called to be good stewards of what God has placed in our hands. We are called to use the resources God has given us in ways that please and honor Him. Recently, I was reminded that stewardship includes making sure I am not financially supporting organizations that spend that money in a way that opposes the teachings of Christ.
I included the two scriptures above to make two points. 1) God gives us everything we have. It all belongs to Him, therefore anything we do with any part of our possessions is an act of stewardship. 2) This does not exempt us from meeting our financial obligations (such as taxes) to governments nor excuse of from repaying others what we owe them.
As I was scrolling through social media, I came across a post from a company whose product I use that clearly stated they would be financially supporting abortion initiatives. I processed this statement and prayed about what this meant for me, as a consumer. I soon realized that I was more concerned with how not using their product would inconvenience me than I was about how financially supporting them reflected the values I profess as a Jesus-follower.
I confess to you that the struggle is real. This realization brought to mind other companies supporting other issues/causes that don’t line up with the teachings of Christ. Do I need to cancel every connection with every company? What would be left that I could use to run my business? What does God want me to do?
Honestly, I’m still processing these questions and praying about how to be a good steward of God’s resources. How do I run a business and live in the world but not be of the world? We are not called to be part of the cancel-culture. But we are called to represent Jesus to the world. Our actions and beliefs must line up for our witness to be effective.
“Lord, help me and all others who struggle with these issues. Teach us to be good stewards and show us what companies to support and what companies to avoid. Let us honor you with our work, our finances, and every decision we make. Thank you, Father, for being our Teacher, Friend, and Counselor as we navigate through this life. In Jesus Name, Amen.”
My only conclusions today:
1. I will not financially contribute to a company that supports causes that go against the teachings of my God.
2. I will prayerfully consider each product and company I use so that I can learn proper stewardship and honor God through my choices.
3. I will not prioritize convenience or ease over choosing to obey God’s direction.
May God light a spark in our consciences and lead us to better stewardship of His resources and blessings.