Joseph is an example of Stewardship

In Genesis chapter 1 we are told, " In the beginning God created the heaven and earth and everything in it."  It is God’s.  He created and owns it. He created Adam and Eve and put them in the garden of Eden and gave them dominion over it.  He entrusted the creation to them.  In the Old Testament, a steward is one who oversees and distributes the master’s possessions. Joseph is an example of a steward, overseeing his Egyptian master’s household. We are likewise called to be stewards of God’s riches. Genesis 39:3-4 “His master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hands. So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him; he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had.” 1 Corinthians 4:1 “Think of us this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God's mysteries.”  

Stewardship is another way of talking about ministry.  In Greek and Hebrew, the word “ministry” is the same word as “servant.”  Servants are people who are at the disposal of another.  So if we replace the word “ministry” with “service,” we begin to see that stewardship is ministry in the sense that all of us are responsible to do what God wants and are accountable to him.  It is service to God and to the world simultaneously.  1 Peter 4:10 “Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.”  1 Timothy 6:18 "They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life. " 
 
Will you help lay a foundation for the future with your work for Christ in our church and communities?  How will you be responsible and accountable?  How will you oversee and share what God has entrusted to you?  Please pray. ​