Stewardship: A Biblical Call to Faithful Living in 2025

You may be familiar with choosing a word for the year – a theme, in essence, around which all of your goals focus. For 2025, a word chose me. As I have been planning for the new year, the word “stewardship” kept coming to mind. The Bible calls us to be a good steward of the gifts God has given us, and to be honest, I feel that I have squandered many of those gifts. My overarching goal for 2025 and beyond is focused around stewardship and I invite you to join me.

What is Biblical Stewardship?

If you’ve spent any time in church or reading the Bible, you have most likely heard the term “stewardship”. You may even have a general idea of what stewardship means, but let’s take a closer look at the Biblical meaning of stewardship.

Stewardship: the practice of managing the resources and talents God has given to people to glorify God and serve others. 

Biblical stewardship is an act of worship and obedience, acknowledging that God is the owner of everything, and we are called to be caretakers of His Creation. In a beautiful way, living as a steward of God’s gifts releases us from the stress and striving for perfection because we acknowledge that God is in control and we are to seek His will, not our own.

Essentially, we are managers of what God has given us, and I will honestly say that I have not managed my gifts very well. As a steward, I am to be faithful with what God has given me and accountable for how well I steward those gifts.

Biblical Examples of Stewardship

Let’s look at what the Bible says about stewardship:

OUR ROLE ON EARTH: STEWARDSHIP OF CREATION

The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it.

Genesis 2:15

From the dawn of Creation, God gave man a task – to be a good steward of His Creation. We were created to work the land, care for the animals and plants, and take care of the earth.

OUR ROLE AS CHRISTIANS: OVERSEERS OF GOD’S HOUSEHOLD

As an overseer of God’s household, he must be blameless, not arrogant, not hot-tempered, not an excessive drinker, not a bully, not greedy for money, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, righteous, holy, self-controlled, holding to the faithful message as taught, so that he will be able both to encourage with sound teaching and to refute those who contradict it.

Titus 1:7-9

God’s household isn’t just the church, but our bodies as well. God dwells in us, therefore our bodies are a temple.

STEWARDSHIP IN ANTICIPATION OF CHRIST

The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.”

Luke 12:42-44

While we wait for Jesus to return, stewardship, along with discipleship, is our role on earth. And I believe that being a good steward is a form of discipleship, as those around us witness our stewarding. It can provide us with opportunity to share Jesus with others as we care for the things we have been given.

Stewardship in Daily Life

As we move into the new year, my goals are focused around stewardship. Rather than striving to lose weight or save money, I strive to steward well, which will help me achieve those results. So what does that look like in daily life?

STEWARDING MY BODY/HEALTH

Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

As I reflect on the way I currently live my life and care for my body, I have to ask myself, “Would God be happy with how I care for His temple?” And the honest answer is “no”. I have allowed myself to gain excess weight, I eat foods that are not healthy and I eat in a gluttonous manner, and I am relatively lazy.

For my body, God’s temple, to be stewarded well, I must honor it by feeding it healthy food – food that came from God’s creation, not heavily processed food. I also must keep it running efficiently with daily activity and exercise in order to be ready for anything God calls me to do.

Weight loss will come as a fruit of my efforts, but the goal is to steward my body well, focusing on and relying on the abilities God has given me, rather than what I feel I am able to do, which is limited to my own understanding.

STEWARDING MY HOME

She is not afraid for her household when it snows, for all in her household are doubly clothed. She makes her own bed coverings; her clothing is fine linen and purple.

Proverbs 31:21-22

I’ll be honest – the Proverbs 31 woman feels so unattainable, but she is a model of a Godly woman who stewards her home, her family, and her finances well.

Stewarding my home means that I will keep it clean and organized, while also making it inviting for myself, my family, and others. In partnership with my husband, we will maintain a working home environment, caring for the blessing of our home as best as we can.

STEWARDING MY FINANCES

Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first produce of your entire harvest; then your barns will be completely filled, and your vats will overflow with new wine.

Proverbs 3:9-10

Scripture tells us that the Lord loves a cheerful giver, but you can’t give from empty pockets. Stewarding my finances means that I will care for the money I have, work hard to grow it, and give from my abundance.

She sees that her profits are good, and her lamp never goes out at night.

She evaluates a field and buys it; she plants a vineyard with her earnings.

Her hands reach out to the poor, and she extends her hands to the needy.

She makes and sells linen garments; she delivers belts to the merchants.

Proverbs 31:16,18,20,24

If you read the entirety of the Proverbs 31 woman scripture, verses 10-31, you will see that ultimately, a virtuous woman is a good steward of everything she has been given, including her finances.

In verses 16, 18, 20, and 24, we see that she is a keen businesswoman, buying and selling well, and she is generous, giving to the poor. Stewarding my own finances well means that I will adhere to a budget, pay off my debt, save for emergencies, and give generously to those in need.

STEWARDING MY RELATIONSHIPS

The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will not lack anything good. She rewards him with good, not evil, all the days of her life.

Proverbs 31:11-12

A Godly marriage is one built on mutual respect, trust, and love. Being a good steward of my marriage means that I will honor my husband as the head of my household, encourage him with word and deed, and be the help-mate God created me to be.

He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”

Matthew 22:37-40

Similarly, stewarding relationships with others is a command from Jesus to love our neighbors as ourselves. What does this mean? It means that we should treat others with the same kindness and respect that we hope to receive. Stewarding my relationships means not being quick to judge others, extend kindness and patience with those around me, and serving others without expecting payment.

A Call to Stewardship

As you work on your own goals, I want to encourage you to create Godly goals and cover them in prayer. Trust God to guide your steps and strive to live in His will for your life. Be a good steward of the gifts God has given you.

What is God calling you to steward well this year?