The Overseer

“And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses,” Luke 16:1-4, KJV.

Focal Passage: Luke 16:1-13

Many moments in life call for us to be an overseer, a steward. It may be that we have to oversee a vacant house while family members are away, vehicles or money that may have been loaned and even precious children who enter the home for a slumber party with one of your very own. The responsibility shifts to the possessor at the time, even in a circumstance where you were asked to hold a camera for a friend who escaped to the restroom for a few fleeting moments. For that specified period of time, you are that personal steward.

It’s interesting that as we loan things out to friends or family members we do this with the trust that they will take care of what we’ve loaned to them. We expect them to take care of our items as we do. I try not to say take care of things like they would do their own because some don’t take care of their things well. Many treat what they have like garbage and could care less. Last month I looked at the passage of scripture in 1 Peter 4:9-11 and explored some areas of what it means to be a good steward. Today, I ask you to consider the parable in the Bible where Jesus spoke about the rich man and his steward.

In this parable, the rich man heard that while he was away his steward had wasted his goods. When the steward was prompted to give an account of his stewardship it was found that the he had not served the master well. In order for the steward to set up opportunities for himself, he sacrificed at the expense of the rich man hoping to make future gain for himself before he was thrown out. Is this what some of us may do?

When God affords time to us, how is that time spent? When He cancels debt, how do we manage the dollars then available? With the talents he’s blessed us with whom do we use them on or for? These are several questions that help in evaluating our current status in life, asking ourselves, “What kind of steward am I?”

Our very gifts and talents have been afforded to us by God, how do we thank Him for that? Do we manipulate others for self gain, or do we sacrifice whether it benefits us or not? Only a thorough examination of oneself can bring an authentic account. It is important to understand that even our very bodies are loaned to us for a specified period of time. It is up to us to manage all that God has given us…and to manage it well.