Growing up, there were no leftovers. Tupperware to hold food until the next day just wasn't really a thing in our house. Maybe it was because I had ten brothers and sisters. Maybe it was because my dad was a mechanic, and we simply didn't have an abundance. Or maybe it was because my parents came from a generation that did not waste anything.

For the most part, that carried over to me. I hate to see food go to waste. But stewardship is about much more than what is left on our plates. What about the other resources God has entrusted to us—our time, money, talents, abilities, and opportunities?

When I stop and consider all the Lord has provided, I am deeply grateful. He has blessed us with people, resources, opportunities, and a church family that loves Jesus and serves faithfully. We have so much for which to thank Him.

Yet, even while living in the middle of His provision, it is easy to become forgetful. We can begin acting as though these things simply appeared, as though they belong to us, or as though we are the reason they exist. The truth is that every good gift comes from the Lord. Everything we have has been placed in our hands by Him, and gratitude should lead us to steward it all with humility, wisdom, and faithfulness.

"Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful."
—1 Corinthians 4:2

A steward is someone who manages what belongs to another. Biblically, that means everything we have ultimately belongs to God—our money, time, abilities, opportunities, relationships, possessions, and even our bodies.

Being a good steward is not mainly about how much we have. It is about what we do with what God has placed in our hands.

Jesus taught this through the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. Each servant received a different amount, but the master's expectation was faithfulness: use well what you have been given. The faithful servants heard these words:

"Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much."
—Matthew 25:21

It is easy to compare our resources, gifts, or opportunities with someone else's. We may think, "I could do more if I had more." But stewardship begins with what is already in our hands.

Am I using my time wisely?

Am I handling money in a way that honors God?

Am I developing the gifts He has given me?

Am I caring well for the people He has entrusted to me?

Am I using my influence to point others toward Jesus?

Faithful stewardship does not require perfection. It requires surrender, wisdom, and consistency. Sometimes stewardship means giving generously. Sometimes it means saying no. Sometimes it means resting so we can remain healthy. Sometimes it means caring well for what we already have. Sometimes it means taking a faithful risk rather than burying what God has given us.

As a church family, God has entrusted us with much. He has given us people to love, a community to serve, a gospel to proclaim, and resources to use for His Kingdom. None of us can do everything, but each of us has something God can use.

The question is not whether we have as much as someone else. The question is whether we are being faithful with what God has placed in our hands.

May we be a church that receives God's provision with gratitude, manages it with wisdom, and uses it generously for His glory.