True biblical stewardship. It's a phrase we hear often, conjuring images of diligently managing our finances and time. But what if I told you that it's possible to be too responsible, to cross a subtle line from faithful stewardship into fear-driven control? It's a thought that's been brewing in my mind, and I think it's worth exploring.
The familiar parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-20 often comes to mind when we talk about stewardship.
Matthew 25:14-30 NLT [14] “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. [15] He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip. [16] “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. [17] The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. [18] But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money. [19] “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. [20] The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’ [21] “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together! ’ [22] “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’ [23] “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’ [24] “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. [25] I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’ [26] “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, [27] why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’ [28] “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. [29] To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. [30] Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
The first two servants who wisely invested their master's money are lauded as good stewards. But what about the third servant? On the surface, he seems merely irresponsible. He buried his talent and returned with the exact same amount. Yet, I wonder if his failing wasn't irresponsibility, but rather an overabundance of a certain kind of "responsibility" – one rooted in fear and a desire for control.
Think about it. Irresponsibility would have been squandering the money. But this servant hoarded it, paralyzed by fear of loss, of making a mistake. He acted as if he was in control of the outcome, desperately trying to protect what wasn't truly his in the first place. Sound familiar? How often do we operate from a place of fear, trying to micromanage the gifts God has entrusted to us?
I recently read something said by theologian Joel Muddamalle; "Stewardship is this sense that God, who is in total control, has given us responsibility and vocation… Stewardship allows us to do what we can with what we have, in the means that we have. Anything that is outside of our means or things we don't have are things that we're not required to be stewards over, so we have to be really careful with that."
We are responsible for the portion God has given us – no more, no less. We aren't meant to shoulder the burden of things outside our control, constantly anticipating every potential negative outcome. True stewardship is deeply connected to our faith. The first two servants acted in faith, trusting their master's provision and purpose in giving them the talents. The third servant's fear blinded him to that trust.
Let's consider two common areas where this tension between stewardship and control often plays out:
Money: The desire for control often surfaces as reluctant giving, self-centered accumulation, or desperate schemes for security. Stewardship, on the other hand, begins with prayerful generosity, wise budgeting rooted in trust, and a Spirit-led understanding that our finances ultimately belong to God.
Time: Control might look like rigid adherence to schedules out of obligation or a frantic filling of our days to appear "busy" for God. Stewardship involves prayerfully discerning priorities, balancing commitments with humility, and intentionally using each day according to God's prompting in the present moment.
The call to stewardship is a gift, a chance to participate in God's work with what He has provided. It becomes a burden when we allow fear to morph it into a quest for control, a belief that everything hinges on our ability to manage perfectly. We are not meant to be in control; that is God's sovereign domain. Our role is to be faithful with what He has entrusted to us, trusting in His ultimate authority and provision. Let's release the need to control and embrace the freedom of control-free stewardship, so that one day we might hear those beautiful words: "Well done, my good and faithful servant."
The familiar parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-20 often comes to mind when we talk about stewardship.
Matthew 25:14-30 NLT [14] “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. [15] He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip. [16] “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. [17] The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. [18] But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money. [19] “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. [20] The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’ [21] “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together! ’ [22] “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’ [23] “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’ [24] “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. [25] I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’ [26] “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, [27] why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’ [28] “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. [29] To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. [30] Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
The first two servants who wisely invested their master's money are lauded as good stewards. But what about the third servant? On the surface, he seems merely irresponsible. He buried his talent and returned with the exact same amount. Yet, I wonder if his failing wasn't irresponsibility, but rather an overabundance of a certain kind of "responsibility" – one rooted in fear and a desire for control.
Think about it. Irresponsibility would have been squandering the money. But this servant hoarded it, paralyzed by fear of loss, of making a mistake. He acted as if he was in control of the outcome, desperately trying to protect what wasn't truly his in the first place. Sound familiar? How often do we operate from a place of fear, trying to micromanage the gifts God has entrusted to us?
I recently read something said by theologian Joel Muddamalle; "Stewardship is this sense that God, who is in total control, has given us responsibility and vocation… Stewardship allows us to do what we can with what we have, in the means that we have. Anything that is outside of our means or things we don't have are things that we're not required to be stewards over, so we have to be really careful with that."
We are responsible for the portion God has given us – no more, no less. We aren't meant to shoulder the burden of things outside our control, constantly anticipating every potential negative outcome. True stewardship is deeply connected to our faith. The first two servants acted in faith, trusting their master's provision and purpose in giving them the talents. The third servant's fear blinded him to that trust.
Let's consider two common areas where this tension between stewardship and control often plays out:
Money: The desire for control often surfaces as reluctant giving, self-centered accumulation, or desperate schemes for security. Stewardship, on the other hand, begins with prayerful generosity, wise budgeting rooted in trust, and a Spirit-led understanding that our finances ultimately belong to God.
Time: Control might look like rigid adherence to schedules out of obligation or a frantic filling of our days to appear "busy" for God. Stewardship involves prayerfully discerning priorities, balancing commitments with humility, and intentionally using each day according to God's prompting in the present moment.
The call to stewardship is a gift, a chance to participate in God's work with what He has provided. It becomes a burden when we allow fear to morph it into a quest for control, a belief that everything hinges on our ability to manage perfectly. We are not meant to be in control; that is God's sovereign domain. Our role is to be faithful with what He has entrusted to us, trusting in His ultimate authority and provision. Let's release the need to control and embrace the freedom of control-free stewardship, so that one day we might hear those beautiful words: "Well done, my good and faithful servant."
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