I AM LOOKING FOR THOSE WHO WILL STEWARD THE INCREASE WELL
Recently I heard the Lord say, “I am looking for those who will steward well. I am releasing much at this time and I am looking for those who will steward the increase well. Those who have been faithful with little will now be entrusted with much.” I had a sense that the Lord was releasing greater opportunities and assignments and people would be stepping into an increase in their spiritual authority and the corresponding equipping needed to walk in this. The Lord highlighted the word ‘stewardship’ to me and I knew the Lord was telling me that with this increase in authority, blessing and opportunity comes an increase in responsibility to steward well that which the Lord is giving. Luke 12:48 – When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.
As God’s stewards we are responsible for managing well, according to His desires and purposes, that which the Lord entrusts to us. In Psalm 24 we read the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. God owns everything, we are managers acting on His behalf with what He entrusts to us. Owners have rights but stewards have responsibilities. We will one day be called to give an account for how we have stewarded what we have been entrusted with including our assignments, authority, relationships, time, gifts, resources, money etc and we will be rewarded accordingly. In Revelation 22:12 Jesus tells us, “Behold I am coming soon! My reward is with me and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. When we have pure hearts and we give generously, more is given to us. Luke 6:38 TPT – Give generously and generous gifts will be given back to you, shaken down to make room for more. Abundant gifts will pour out upon you with such overflowing measure that it will run over the top! Your measurement of generosity becomes the measurement of your return.
The gifts we have been given are not for our own purposes but to serve others and use them for His purposes and plans. 1 Peter 4:10 – God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. We are also responsible for what has been given to us by God’s revelation and for completing the assignments the Lord gives us. In Ephesians 3:1-3 Paul says he was entrusted to share the gospel and the revelation he received with the Gentiles – Because of my love for Jesus Christ, I am now his prisoner for the sake of all of you who are not Jews. I have been made his prisoner so that you will hear the gospel that God has entrusted to me to share with you in this letter. For this wonderful mystery, which I briefly described, was given to me by divine revelation.
Biblical stewardship touches every area of our lives. It requires a basic commitment to present ourselves completely to God as His servants. Faithful stewardship means that we fully acknowledge we are not our own but belong to Christ, the Lord, who gave Himself for us. When we steward well that which the Lord entrusts us with we give glory to Him and we further His Kingdom. Therefore, exercising faithful stewardship demonstrates our love for God.
In Matthew 25:14-30 we read a parable about stewardship. We all want to steward well and hear our Lord and master say, “You have done well and proven yourself to be my loyal and trustworthy servant. Because you have been a faithful steward to manage a small sum, now I will put you in charge of much, much more. You will experience the delight of your master, who will say to you, Enter into the joy of your master!” (Matthew 25:21 TPT). The Lord is releasing more to those who have faithfully stewarded that which they have been entrusted with. This is an exciting time as the Lord is releasing new and greater levels of assignments, authority, gifts and resources. The Lord is also reminding us that with the increase also comes a greater level of responsibility and accountability.