A biblical definition of stewardship is having dominion over the works of God. (Genesis 1:26-30). The works of God’s hands includes all the material things and creatures of the Earth. We as stewards are not the owners of these things but we have dominion over them.
Stewardship is a theological belief that humans are responsible for the world and should take care of it. Believers in stewardship are usually people who believe in one God, who created the universe and all that is within it, also believing that they must take care of creation and look after it.
In her article in Stewardship Ministry News, (The Effects of Money on Us Matters to God), Dr. Sherry Hester Kenny, writes that a key theological concept taught in Presbyterian seminaries is to go to scriptures to learn what is important to God, rather than to discover what God thinks about what is important to human beings.
Proverbs 3:9 says, “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops.” This verse is not only a call to give generously from our first fruits, but it is also a reminder to trust in God, follow God, and seek God’s wisdom. All of these are forms of stewardship and all are deserving of our attention and reflection, even as we seek to inspire generous financial giving. There are many other scriptures that point to our Christian call to gratitude, generosity, and stewardship.
