In his Gospel coalition article “Be Faithful Over Little: A Different Vision for a Life That Counts,” Chase Krug states that faithfulness isn’t about conquering the world or becoming a spiritual celebrity, but regular obedience to God within the peculiar and unseen. In the identical way, this text explores what it means to live as stewards of all God has given, recognizing that He is the Owner, the Giver, and the Entruster of each good thing.
It’s easy to think our jobs and efforts provide homes, cars, and comforts we enjoy. We often view our abilities, whether physical strength, intellect, or creativity, because the product of labor, education, or good planning. But beneath all of it lies a deeper truth: all the things now we have is a present from God.
I feel of my very own musical ability. My dad could play nearly any instrument by ear, piano, guitar, steel pedal, accordion, violin in two parts, and even my alto sax. He sang tenor beautifully and not using a single formal lesson. I’m thankful a few of that talent passed to me. From an early age, I used to be drawn to the piano. My mom said I used to be all the time on the bench, playing by instinct.
But that gift wasn’t just inherited, it was entrusted. Neither my dad’s ability nor mine is ultimately ours. They are gifts from God meant for use for His glory.
Whatever we’ve been given—talents, resources, opportunities—they are sacred trusts. We are stewards, not owners. And the best purpose of each gift is to point back to the Giver.
I grew up in a house stuffed with music and ministry. My parents led a music group that served in various churches around town, and plenty of rehearsals took place in our front room. Their love for music and dedication to using it for the Lord made a long-lasting impression on me. Music became greater than sound—it became a option to serve, to worship, and to attach with others in faith.
Everything now we have in life is ultimately a present from God. He gave us the breath of life and shaped us with intention. Scripture reminds us that He was intimately involved in forming us in our mother’s womb and has scheduled every day of our days with care: “We are fearfully and splendidly made” (Psalm 139:15). As John Wesley, the good revivalist and founding father of Methodism, once said, “When the possessor of heaven and earth brought you into being and placed you on this world, He placed you here not as a proprietor, but as a steward. “
We don’t own our gifts, our talents, and even our time. We are stewards of all that God has entrusted to us, called to make use of every a part of our lives for His glory.
Even King David, wealthy and appointed by God to guide Israel, recognized this foundational truth. As he prepared to assemble resources for the development of the Temple, a dwelling place for the God of heaven, he humbled himself before the Lord and declared: “But who am I, and who’re my people, that we should always have the opportunity to provide as generously as this?
”Everything comes from you, and now we have given you simply what comes out of your hand.” – 1 Chronicles 29:14
God – the Owner of Everything
“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and all the things in it.” — Psalm 24:1.
This verse became a lifeline during a difficult four-year battle with city, state, and county authorities over our land. Construction on our home was halted when the county claimed asbestos was buried on the property, which was never disclosed within the deed. They demanded that we purchase a dump license and threatened exorbitant fines and taxes. We feared we’d lose our retirement savings just attempting to keep what was rightfully ours.
But through all of it. Psalm 24:1 kept resurfacing in our prayers: “The earth is the Lord’s.” Even the dirt beneath our feet belonged to Him. That truth sustained us. At the eleventh hour, just before we’d have been forced to pay 1000’s of dollars, we saw God’s provision. He brought the best people into our lives, and ultimately, the responsible parties were held accountable for the waste that they had buried. God made a way.
Those long, discouraging days taught us to carry fast to the reality that all the things really does belong to the Lord. Not only the heavens and the majestic mountains, however the soil under our home. And yes, even us.
Through those difficult days that seemed inconceivable to win, this Psalm 24 verse reminded us that all the things was the Lord – even the dirt, and yes, us, too.
Genesis 1 tells us God created all the things: the heavens, the earth, the sky, the waters, animals, birds, fish, and ultimately humanity. He breathed life into Adam and Eve, forming them from the dust of the bottom. Even today, we witness the identical miracle when a baby takes its first breath outside the womb. Who gives that breath? It is God, present at every birth, sustaining every soul.
We are usually not self-made. We are God-breathed. From the bottom beneath us to the breath inside us, all of it’s His, and that changes all the things about how we live, give, and trust Him through life’s hardest tests.
We’ve reflected on musical talent in our family, but stewardship extends to each ability God entrusts to us, learned skills, creative insights, mechanical know-how, or conceptual pondering. All of it has its roots in him. It isn’t any wonder that the One who owns all the things also delights after we gratefully offer our greatest back to Him. After all, God will not be only the Owner. He is the giver of all good things.
God – the Giver
“Every good gift and each perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17). He provides all of the gifts and talents.”
Some are gifted in architecture. Others in artistic design – whether playing an instrument, painting, room design, interior decorating, or creative room design. Still others are drawn to the sciences – biology, oceanography, and even cartography, the detailed study of maps. Teachers who like to learn and share knowledge, craftsmen who shape with their hands, and thinkers who solve complex problems all reflect the various spectrum of talents God gives.
Each gift is God-given, not self-earned. Stewarding these abilities means devoting them to honor the One who gave them. As Paul reminds us, “Whatever you do, work at it with all of your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters…It is the Lord Christ you’re serving” (Colossians 3:23-24).
Jesus underscored this principle within the parable of the unjust in Luke 6:1-13. Though the steward mismanaged his master’s wealth, he acted shrewdly when faced with accountability. Jesus uses this story to remind us that how we handle our resources matters and divulges where our true loyalty lies. He warns, “No servant can serve two masters…You cannot serve each God and money.” This contrast highlights our call to honor God, not be consumed by what we possess.
Tithing, the practice of giving the primary portion of our income to God, is a tangible way of claiming we trust Him and acknowledge that each one provision ultimately comes from His hand. Generosity begins with the popularity that we are able to never out-give the One who owns all of it.
“Honor the Lord along with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all of your crops; then your barns will likely be filled to overflowing.” – Proverbs 3:9-10
God, the Entruster
In one other parable, Jesus teaches concerning the stewardship of talents. A master entrusted his servants with different amounts of cash before leaving on a journey. Two of the servants properly invested and doubled their portions, while the third, driven by fear, buried his talent. Upon his return, the master rewards the faithful servants but punishes the one who did nothing. This story underscores the principle that God’s gifts include responsibility, and clever stewardship results in greater blessings. Matthew 25:21 declares, “
His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with just a few things; I’ll put you accountable for many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
Stewardship extends beyond our funds. It encompasses our entire lives: our work, talents, abilities, and even our physical bodies. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 6:19-21, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who’s in you, whom you will have received from God? You are usually not your individual; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God along with your bodies.”
Our bodies, as vessels of God’s Spirit, are entrusted to us, and we’re called to take care of them with reverence. Sexual immorality and other types of misuse are violations of this divine stewardship. By honoring God with our bodies, we are usually not our own, but belong to Him, purchased by the valuable blood of Christ, who died to save lots of us from the sin that may eternally separate us from God.
We Owe God Our All
We owe all the things to God, not only our physical being, but in addition our spiritual and emotional well-being. As Matthew 6:33 reminds us, “Seek first the dominion of God and all this stuff shall be added unto you.” Everything we’d like to live a godly life comes from God’s generosity.
We belong to God, our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19), and our lives are supposed to reflect His purpose. Acts 17:28 says, “In Him, we live and breathe and have our meaning.” Our families also belong to God, and we’re entrusted to steward their care, our responses, our words, and the training we offer them, guiding them in His ways. Our money, too, belongs to God, and we honor Him by giving the primary portion of our income to support our local church, missions, and ministries.
God is the Owner of all the things, and we’re stewards of what He has entrusted to us. He is the Giver of all talents, abilities, and resources, calling us to make use of them with gratitude and purpose. As the Entruster, He expects faithful stewardship in every area of our lives, our time, money, bodies, and families, to bring Him honor.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Delmaine Donson
