When we think of stewardship, we probably think first of money – can we exercise greater care in our use of it? However, there are other things over which we are also to exercise careful stewardship.

For example, Paul writes,

The overseer must be above reproach as God's steward.Titus 1:7

The church of God, which was purchased with his own blood, has been given to the care of elders, who are to shepherd the church as God's stewards (Acts 20:28). They "keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account" to God for their stewardship (Hebrews 13:17).

Moreover, we are to be "good stewards of the manifold grace of God" (1 Peter 4:10). In this case, all of us are to be good stewards of the special gifts that God has given to us, so that we employ them in serving one another (vs. 10). This kind of stewardship expresses itself in hospitality (vs. 9).

There is another area of stewardship that is of great importance to the church in general and to each one of us in particular. As a servant of Christ, the apostle Paul was also a steward of the mysteries of God (1 Corinthians 4:1, 2). Paul informs us in Ephesians 3:1-6 that he was given the stewardship of God's grace and that the mystery of this grace was made known to him by revelation. Paul revealed the mystery of Christ in his letters so that we can read about it and understand it, specifically, "that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel" (vs. 6).

The church of Christ all through human history has been granted the stewardship of the oracles of God, the Bible, through which we gain the "true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:2, 3). It is precisely here that we as members of Christ's church have our greatest responsibility. If the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy God is the Word of God contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, and if we are given the responsibility to maintain and disseminate these Scriptures, then the careful stewardship of these mysteries of God is of great importance indeed and we cannot afford to neglect it.

Is it not the mandate of the church to disciple all the nations? In order to disciple the nations, we must teach them to observe all that our King has commanded us in the Scriptures. Furthermore, to carry out this command of our King, this stewardship, we must provide for pastors and teachers so that the saints may be equipped for the work of service. We must do this directly or indirectly as God has specially gifted each one of us. It must be our first priority in order that our chief end may be realized and the generations to come may do so. To be good stewards of the gospel requires that we be good stewards of our money, our gifts, our time, and all that we are and have.