Steward sits well on a stool. No arm chair for him.
Not sexy by far. Not powerful like leader or owner. Feels at best second-rate.
Someone who answers to another. Someone who manages the assets of another. Someone under another. Following another.
Definitely not The Other.
A good steward desires not the owner’s seat. She humbly embraces her servant role.
Stewards realize their stuff is not their own. They work hard. Yes. They plan hard. Yes. But they’ve seen stuff come and stuff go. In a blink of an eye or beat of a heart.
They’ve inventoried their good fortune versus the next door neighbor’s. Nothing that different between the two: college degrees, long tenure, decades of experience.
One laid off. The other not.
Nothing that different between the two… except the outcomes. Right place and right time, it appears. Some would say lucky.
Perhaps more Providential. With a capital P. Meaning some One provided it to you. Some One chose for you to manage it. Some One decided you could handle whatever it is.
We tend to believe our good fortune – small to large – is our doing. Our grit and determination. Our moving the chess pieces just so.
Foolishness. Utterly.
When you realize you don’t own anything and appreciate how everything – literally everything – is a gift and privilege…
How all of life is a giant journey of receiving…
How all you have and the experiences you encounter all flow back to a giving God…
That’s a steward. That’s your calling in Jesus.
Steward well.