Giving Account
By: Lavern Stewart (1977)
Jesus taught a lesson about the unjust steward being required to give account for his stewardship, Luke 16:1-13. The steward was accused of wasting his Lord's goods. Could you and I be guilty of wasting our Lord's goods? Consider 1 Corinthians 4:2, "Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful."
Do you know what a "steward" is? According to Webster's New World Dictionary, definition, "one who acts as a supervisor or administrator, as of finance and property, for another or others." Everything in the world belongs to God, including us (Psalms 24:1); this is true by right of creation. In another sense, all who are members of the church belong to God by right of purchase, 1 Corinthians 6:20, "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" You may read also Revelation 5:9.
On the basis of what has been written thus far, we know that God has made us supervisors of that which really belongs to Him, including our bodies. From 2 Corinthians 5:20 we see that a day is coming when we must give an account of our stewardship -- this accounting not only involves what we do with our bodies, and our physical possession (2 Corinthians 9:6-10), but also includes our time because we are told to redeem the time, Colossians 4:5, "Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time." The same thing was written to the Ephesians (5:16). The literal meaning of "redeeming the time" is making the most of the time that God gives us. We must do good at every opportunity, Galatians 6:10.
We are unfaithful stewards if we waste time doing that which requires little training to do, while the things we are supposedly qualified to do goes undone. If my point is not clear, please read Acts 6:1-4. The faithful steward does not bury his talent, Matthew 25:25-30; neither does he waste time by being dedicated to worldly pleasure (Luke 8:14). Some playtime we need, no doubt, but let us not rob God of time that should be devoted to His work.