Chapter 23—The Principles of Stewardship
Are we as individuals searching the word of God carefully and
prayerfully, lest we shall depart from its precepts and requirements?
The Lord will not look upon us with pleasure if we withhold anything,
small or great, that should be returned to Him. If we desire to spend
money to gratify our own inclinations, let us think of the good we
might do with that money. Let us lay aside for the Master small and
large sums, that the work may be built up in new places. If we spend
selfishly the money so much needed, the Lord does not, cannot, bless
us with His commendation.
As stewards of the grace of God, we are handling the Lord’s money.
It means much, very much to us to be strengthened by His rich grace
day by day, to be enabled to understand His will, to be found faithful
in that which is least as well as in that which is great. When this is our
experience, the service of Christ will be a reality to us. God demands
this of us, and before angels and men we should reveal our gratitude
for what He has done for us. God’s benevolence to us we should reflect
back in praise and deeds of mercy....
Do all church members realize that all they have is given them to
be used and improved to God’s glory? God keeps a faithful account
with every human being in our world. And when the day of reckoning
comes, the faithful steward takes no credit to himself. He does not say,
“My pound;” but, “Thy pound hath gained” other pounds. He knows
that without the entrusted gift no increase could have been made. He
feels that in faithfully discharging his stewardship he has but done his
duty. The capital was the Lord’s, and by His power he was enabled to
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trade upon it successfully. His name only should be glorified. Without
the entrusted capital he knows that he would have been bankrupt for
eternity.
The approval of the Lord is received almost with surprise, it is
so unexpected. But Christ says to him, “Well done, thou good and
faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make
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