Stewardship While Living
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characters of industry, frugality, and moral worth, which lie at the
foundation of success in the Christian life. Those children for whom
parents do the most, frequently feel under the least obligation toward
them.—
Testimonies for the Church 3:121-123
.
Shifting Responsibility to Others
Those Sabbathkeeping brethren who shift the responsibility of
their stewardship into the hands of their wives, while they themselves
are capable of managing the same, are unwise, and in the transfer
displease God. The stewardship of the husband cannot be transferred
to the wife. Yet this is sometimes attempted, to the great injury of
both.
A believing husband has sometimes transferred his property to
his unbelieving companion, hoping thereby to gratify her, disarm her
opposition, and finally induce her to believe the truth. But this is no
more nor less than an attempt to purchase peace, or to hire the wife to
believe the truth. The means which God has lent to advance His cause
the husband transfers to one who has no sympathy for the truth; what
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account will such a steward render when the great Master requires His
own with usury?
Believing parents have frequently transferred their property to their
unbelieving children, thus putting it out of their power to render to God
the things that are His. By so doing, they lay off that responsibility
which God has laid upon them, and place in the enemy’s ranks means
which God has entrusted to them to be returned to Him by being
invested in His cause when He shall require it of them.
It is not in God’s order that parents who are capable of managing
their own business, should give up the control of their property, even
to children who are of the same faith. These seldom possess as much
devotion to the cause as they should, and they have not been schooled
in adversity and affliction, so as to place a high estimate upon the
eternal treasure, and less upon the earthly. The means placed in the
hands of such is the greatest evil. It is a temptation to them to place
their affections upon the earthly, and trust to property, and feel that
they need but little besides. When means which they have not acquired
by their own exertion, comes into their possession, they seldom use it
wisely.