I recently noticed that I had highly neglected our cookware.
A few years back, we decided to switch from non-stick pots and pans to copper-coated stainless ones. I had read that this switch should help improve our overall health, so it was an investment well worth making. For Christmas that year, we were gifted a gorgeous set.
The only problem with this high-dollar switch is that the hot heat of the stove eye (also known as elements) can speed up the oxidation process and discolor the once-pristine, shiny finish.
As I inspected the worn pots, I thought they were goners.
Sure, they still worked while cooking and assisted in doing what we thought was best for our health. But it was my fault that they had not been well cared for. The copper shine had been replaced with dark spots and stains.
I quickly went to the internet to see if there was any hope for these expensive gifts. I learned that there were actually products made for this exact predicament. Naturally, I bought some and started scrubbing away the dirt and grime. It worked!
But amidst the cleaning, I quickly realized that I had not been a good steward of what I had been given.
Often, I think of stewardship in terms of how I spend my hard-earned dollars. But this instance reminded me that it also includes how we care for the things we’ve purchased or been given. Of course, before we bring home a trinket or new accessory, we should ensure that what we purchase is God-honoring and (hopefully) from a company that aligns with our beliefs. But what happens after it arrives?
I remember being a child at Christmastime. My siblings and I would have our Christmas lists ready before Thanksgiving. When we received some of the toys from our wish lists on Christmas morning, we would be so excited to unwrap and briefly play with what we were given. But before long, the excitement waned. Those shiny new toys ended up on our toy room shelf to be forgotten about.
As an adult, I’ve found that in the age of online shopping, we can have anything our heart desires delivered to our doorstep within days. But how do we care for what we have purchased once it comes in our door? Is it like those forgotten Christmas toys? Or is it cared for to the best of my ability?
Bible Gateway explains that the theme of biblical stewardship in the Bible is “The careful use, control and management of the possessions of another that have been entrusted to one. The term is also used to refer to the responsible use of wealth and possessions by Christians.”
In Luke 16, Jesus shares a parable about managing what we’ve been given.
In this parable, Jesus tells the story of the rich man who employed a manager over his money. Once the man realized that the manager was not taking care of what he was in charge of caring for, the master grew angry and caused the manager to act fast. The manager knew that he would have a hard time finding work elsewhere unless he fixed this situation.
So, the manager called up the debtors and made them write out what they owed his master. Each debtor explained that they owed the master a certain amount of oil and wheat. But the manager smoothly talked the debtors down. The master was pleased at the man’s cleverness.
But verses 10-12 stand out the most to me:
He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? Emphasis added.
Jesus used this story to emphasize the importance of caring for what we have been given and being faithful in caring for the other things with which we have been entrusted (our family, a position at work, etc.).
After all, if we do not cherish and adequately care for these things, why should we be trusted with more – or trusted at all?
