FIVE-YEAR SUMMARY: Intimations on Stewardship

Stewardship is the human role in God’s creation given to humanity in Genesis 1:26-31 and is a direct reflection of God’s character qualities.  One of the main ways human beings are made in the image of God (‘imago dei’) is that we were created ‘to rule’ the physical creation God established.  This stewardship includes living in the order to which God established in creation.   

Namely: 

Father-Son-Holy Spirit || Men and then Women || Children 

God teaches about stewardship by showing us family, but also through community formation such as school, sports, scouts, church, etc.  We all have a role to play in His order. God is often at work nudging, but not forcing, from the outside.  As we grow, we begin to realize our skills and talents had limitations.  We are good at some things and not so good at others.  This allows us to sort out our place in the world and where we each fit in God’s order. 

In terms of the ‘imago dei,’ we usually consider being ‘made in the image of God’ to mean creativity, the ability to choose, morality, and other characteristics of human beings as the definition of what it means to be made in the image of God.  And yet, the Bible is quite clear from the very beginning being ‘imago dei’ means ‘to rule.’  We are to steward that which God gave us within our talents and abilities God has given us.  We are responsible to reflect and rule as God’s representatives and take our place in His order.   

Unfortunately, the world is broken.  Sin hath inflected all of Creation.  This means people are sinful, families are broken, and the world groans under the weight of our sin.  Human beings are to manage this sin-damaged creation until Jesus Christ returns and redeems all things.  We cannot be good stewards without Christ for without Him we are lost and sick and without life.  Seeing poor stewardship is not hard to spot. 

In a broken world, sin and dysfunction magnify what is needed.  God speaks through His Word, but He also speaks through silence by what doesn’t glorify Him.  The order of creation points towards Him.  Creation reflects that He exists. 

There is a pattern that develops as one watched over Creation and exercises dominion as God has directed.  It is a pattern of order.  This order reflects the Almighty God.  This order reflects submissive love in community.  This order always results in life.   

We come to understand that everything God does results in life.  God is the Creator of all life and it comes from His imagination and is sustained by Him.  He sends His Son to die, but the result is that human beings have access to life.  The things we do or choices we make that do not produce life (drugs, homosexuality, wonton environmental destruction) are not in God’s will because they do not produce life.  It is a solid theological framework worth thinking on. 

Overall, human beings are to reflect God in our stewardship of creation filling out the roles He has designed for us.  In doing so, we reflect Him properly as the imago dei. 

BMD & TMB