The Biblical Meaning Of SuccessSample

Stewardship and Calling

How exactly do we go about becoming good stewards? Unlike the servants in the parable of the talents, our ‘resources’ are not as obvious as those given by the master in the story. One key to good stewardship lies in understanding the word “calling.” We usually do not use the terms “calling” and “stewardship” together, but we should. Not understanding the biblical relationship between these two important concepts has spiritually handicapped many evangelical Christians in the church today.

In his book The Call, Os Guinness identifies calling as:

The truth that God calls us to himself so decisively that everything we are, everything we do and everything we have is invested with a special devotion and dynamism lived out as a response to his summons and service.

Guinness then suggests that while our primary calling is to be followers of Christ, that call works itself out in four distinct, practical areas:

• The family
• The church
• Our community
• Our vocations

Our primary calling leads to these secondary callings, as we follow and serve Christ in each of these areas.

We discern the difference between our primary calling “to be” and our secondary callings “to do” when we fully integrate God’s call to follow him into all areas of life.

For followers of Christ, living into these secondary callings should lead us to find our unique life purpose, in order to use our particular gifts and abilities to their utmost for God’s glory. Being a good steward means carrying out our callings in all of these secondary areas.

This is the essence of “whole-life stewardship:” to live out all of our lives according to God’s design and desire, fulfilling his original intent for his creation.

By being good stewards and in working with others, we, through the power of Christ working within us, transform the world by bringing about greater levels of flourishing for all of God’s creation.

We will only fully appreciate the value and potential of our work in all the areas of our calling when we see it in this light.

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul reminds them that the basis for reward is faithfulness: “it is required of stewards that they be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2).

May each one of us be found as faithful stewards in carrying out our callings within our families, our churches, and our communities.

Additional Elements

Do you feel free to pursue your individual calling? Be encouraged by this video from the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics.