A Good Steward

What is a good steward? A basic definition of a good steward is someone who responsibly takes care of, manages, and protects something that has been entrusted to them. What has God entrusted to you?

Many of you are aware of the importance of being stewards of the land. As my dad and I were driving around the ranch a few years ago, he pointed out shelter belts he planted over the years, and while pointing out an area without trees commented, “I always wanted to plant more trees here so the cattle would have more protection. Maybe the next generation will get that done.”

Stewardship of the land is caring for what has been entrusted to us and making sure it is better for generations to come, knowing that our time on earth is limited.

I often think of my years growing up on the farm and ranch raising cattle and dryland winter wheat. I have always been fascinated that planting seeds in the ground would result in abundantly more grain provided the Good Lord blessed the fields with rain through Spring and held off hail through Summer until the crop was in the bin.

People that work in agriculture inherently understand stewardship of the land as they live it every day.

The definition of a Christian steward is much broader, but we can begin to understand Christian stewardship by making a few comparisons. As Christian stewards, we are called to receive God’s gifts gratefully, cultivate them responsibly, share them lovingly in justice with others, and return them with increase to the Lord.

As Christian stewards, we are called to receive God’s gifts gratefully…

People in agriculture are gifted with the ability to care for the land and understand its value. Growing up, my grandmother and I had several “life lesson” talks. I remember one when she was telling me about the Great Depression. She said, “I knew as long as we owned a piece of land, we would never starve.” God gave the gift of land to sustain life and taking care of it for Him is truly a privilege.

Cultivate (God’s gifts) responsibly…

People in agriculture understand the need to cultivate the land properly and leave the soil in better condition for next season. The land is their livelihood, and they take the responsibility of caring for it to heart.   

Share (God’s gifts) lovingly in justice with others…

People in agriculture feed the world. The first corporal work of mercy is to feed the hungry. What a blessing to live here and be surrounded by generous, hardworking people that provide food for others year after year!  

Return (God’s gifts) with increase to the Lord...

God has gifted us with fertile fields and nutrient-rich grassland. These have provided food and livelihood for generations of families that have lived in central and western Nebraska. These blessings can be returned to Him "with increase" by cultivating, nurturing, and generously sharing them to build up His kingdom.

Stewardship of the land and sharing of its fruits is an excellent starting point to understanding Christian stewardship. We have been gifted our faith by those who have gone before us. We have been gifted churches and the treasures they contain. We have the awesome responsibility to pass all this down to generations that follow much like the land that has sustained us.

The greatest return to God is to get to heaven and bring as many others along with us as we can! We do this by serving at our parishes using the gifts God gave us. We do this by teaching our faith to our children and grandchildren. We do this by evangelizing others who have yet to meet the living Jesus. We do this by ensuring our churches are properly maintained and cared for so generations to come may find them a place of refuge and comfort.  

I invite you to reflect on the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30. If the Master were to stand before you and ask what you have done with all that He has given you, how would you respond? †