An intriguing biblical metaphor for the Christian life is that of the household steward. In biblical times wealthy homes had a steward whose job it was to distribute what was needed to those who needed it: food here, money there, time and attention wherever required. The steward was responsible for everything, but it was the master who owned it all. The steward’s job was simple: to distribute the master’s resources in a way which pleased the master and accomplished his purposes.
The Bible says every follower of Christ is a steward. This is true of our abilities and time. It is also true of our money. God owns everything (Psalm 24.1), and everything we have is a trust from Him. We are called to use those resources faithfully in a way that will please our Master. This means giving and investing our money to make a Kingdom difference.
From the beginning, it has been the practice among Jesus’ followers to “tithe.” This means giving a tenth of one’s income to God’s Kingdom work. Traditionally, this is done through weekly or monthly gifts to the church, whose leaders distribute those resources to ministries in and through the local church.
We consider it a blessing to be able to give financially to God’s Kingdom purposes through regular offerings and special gifts (2 Corinthians 9.7).
