It’s stewardship over ownership
- B.J. Yoder: Young Money
- October 18, 2022
- 618
As I write this, I know that I am not going to be on this earth forever, and if anyone reading this believes otherwise, let me know in an email.
That being said, we’ve all heard that we “can’t take it with us when we go,” but do we really believe that in our day to day? I know that I don’t believe that when I really analyze my spending habits and the use of my money.
If we really believe this, our view of possessions and money will change. I listened to a podcast and the speaker said a statement that made me think. While this isn’t a verbatim quote, he said “we must think of ourselves as stewards, not owners.” It’s not ours, it’s given to us to take care of.
That quote brings forth to us a higher sense of responsibility for what we’ve been given. As an owner, we see things and money as what they can do for us, but as a steward we take more of an outward focus. We see how we can multiply the gifts and money we’ve worked hard for instead of just wanting to squirrel it away just in case something bad happens. We don’t just want to keep it for ourselves.
Take for example Jesus’ parable about the talents found in Matthew 25. The money or talents were given to three servants by the king. Two of these servants ended up doubling their money, and the king was very well pleased with both servants. Then the third servant came by, and he has been given the least amount, but he told the king that he was afraid to lose money, so he buried it and gave the king the one bag back. The king was furious and berated the servant, calling him lazy and wicked and was sorely displeased with him.
Looking at this, what can we learn? The first two servants saw themselves as stewards of the king’s money and went out and looked outwardly on ways to grow it and not just sit on it, because it wasn’t truly theirs. Then the third servant saw himself as the owner and took complete responsibility of the one talent he had and was scared — of losing it and of what the king would do. In the end, it came back to bite him, and he did not please the king like the first two servants.
Now there is a difference between thinking of yourself as an owner and taking ownership for your possessions. Let me explain. Ownership means that you are responsible and take responsibility for what’s given to you. Being an owner means you think of everything as yours and there’s no reason for you to share with anyone unless you must or are feeling like it.
Like everything, this is a process, a process that I am still in the thick of. I don’t like entrusting other people with my possessions because I immediately think that they will ruin or break it if I lend it to them. It takes time to switch from being an owner to being a steward, especially with money because money is an emotional item. It becomes emotional because we spent all week working for it, and we deserve to use it for ourselves and no one else because that’s our prerogative.
In the end, when the final day comes, we realize it wasn’t really ours to spend, save, invest, or lose. Everything we cared so much at the time in the past seems almost meaningless, the sleepless nights and the worrying about money is useless. You have right now — use it to be a steward of the money you’ve been given, not just an owner.
Holmes County native BJ Yoder is an insurance agent by day and a finance enthusiast by night. This column is for informational purposes only. He can be emailed at benjamin.john.yoder@gmail.com.