“First of all, God has the right to whatever He wants, whenever He wants it. It is all His because an owner has rights; I, as a steward only have responsibilities. I may receive some benefits while maintaining my responsibilities, but the owner retains ownership…
The second implication of God owning it all is that not only is my giving decision a spiritual decision, but every spending decision is a spiritual decision. There is nothing more spiritual than buying a car, taking a vacation, buying food, paying off debt, paying taxes, and so on. These are all responsible uses of His resources…
The third implication of the truth that God owns it all is that you can’t fake stewardship. Your checkbook [or bank statement] reveals all that you really believe about stewardship. Your life story could be written from your checkbook [or bank statement]…Faith requires action!”
Ron Blue in Master Your Money (Chicago: Moody, 2004) 22-26.
Thanks to a Lilly grant and the collaboration of Northern Seminary, Indiana Wesleyan University, and the video experts of Seedbed.com at Asbury Theological Seminary, I started work on the production of a biblical stewardship curriculum with outlines, suggested teaching materials, and short videos.
I have been asked to draw on many of Blue’s practical resources for this project. In reviewing them, I appreciate his clarity. He writes like a modern-day John Wesley: We have responsibilities, every decision is a spiritual decision, and we can’t fake it! Why should we understand and practice biblical stewardship principles? We are writing our life story and faith requires action. Do I hear an “Amen?”