THE HIGH CALLING OF STEWARDISHP

"And if your land yields even more bountifully in the future, will you pull your barns down and build again? But what need is there to pull down and build, when you have available to you as divine storehouses the stomachs of the poor which can hold much, and are indestructible and imperishable? ​

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—Blessed Theophylact

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From the foundations of creation, God calls man to be 'stewards' of the earth; to exercise benevolent dominion over all creation in godly wisdom and virtue. To be a steward is to mimic the benevolent providence of the Creator Himself. There is no greater example of perfect stewardship than the salvific work of our very own Lord Jesus Christ. His kenotic work—His self-emptying for the life of the world—is stewardship par excellence.

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A steward and a rich man are not the same thing. A rich man keeps things for himself, while the steward, as a trustee, holds wealth for the benefit of others—regardless of the degree of his relative wealth. He distributes from his own storehouses with wisdom, discernment, and prayer—not haphazardly. Such a man has cultivated the virtue of non-possession, and by the grace of God, has become a silent benefactor of the world around him. 

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Attachment of the heart to worldly possessions or ideas is the impediment to our enlightenment, our deification, our sanctification as Christians. As the old monastic wisdom says, "if it hurts to give it away, do exactly that." Whether it be Time, Talent, or Treasure.

 

But as Saint Paul tells us: 

 

"Let nothing be done through self-interest or vainglory, but through a heart of humility. Let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others." (Phil 2:3-4)

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To become a steward of the community is to mimic the paradigmatic work of Jesus Christ. It is to willingly, wisely, and humbly accept responsibility—inasmuch as we are able—for the upbuilding of the Body of Christ and its people. And in so doing, we store riches for ourselves in the impending Kingdom, which is nearer to us than we think.