The Qualities of a Steward

The month of February has been designated as Stewardship Month by the Finance Committee. It is hoped that a fuller understanding of the scope and practice of stewardship will result.

In the ancient world, the word steward described a person, normally a trusted slave, who was placed in a position of responsibility over the property, possessions, or household of another person, to whom the household actually belonged. Stewards were expected to be trustworthy as well as accountable.

Stewards were expected to have the quality of prudence. This would be displayed as a combination of wisdom, caution and thrift. He would have to understand his owner’s business and goals. The steward must use the resources of the owner in a wise manner to retain their value while achieving the required results.

He would also have to have the quality of temperance by displaying self-control, restraint, and self-discipline. The steward would need to conduct the business of the owner for the benefit of the owner in all cases remembering that he is using the owner’s property and not his own. In most cases a well performed stewardship would reap great rewards for a faithful and effective steward.

The quality of justice would also be necessary as indicated by integrity, honesty, impartiality, and reasonableness. The work of the steward was at all times subject to direct scrutiny of the owner. The reputation of the owner was always associated with the performance of the affairs of the owner which was under the daily control of the steward.

The good steward would also need to have fortitude as shown by resolution, determination, patience, and endurance. He would have been given great authority by the owner and was expected to use it in a manner that would bring honour and credit to the owner of the property.

The Bible talks much about money and possessions. As we read the Bible we would be wise to listen to how it instructs us to treat and use our skills, our abilities and our possessions over which we have stewardship as given to us by God.

“Love all God’s creation, the whole and every grain of sand in it. Love every leaf, every ray of God’s light. Love the animals, love the plants, love everything. If you love everything, you will perceive the divine mystery in things. Once you perceive it, you will begin to comprehend it better everyday. And you will come at last to love the whole world with an all-embracing love.”

From, The Brothers Karamazov

by Dostoyevsky