God entrusts us with time, talents, and treasure
to steward faithfully for his kingdom.
What if every person chose rebellion all the time? What sort of relationships would we have in families and communities? We would have relationships full of mistrust and self-interest. Order, joy, and peace would vanish. Yet God, in his mercy, has not abandoned us to chaos. From the beginning, he has been the One who brings order out of disorder, light out of darkness, and life out of dust.
God has entrusted humanity with time, talents, and treasure so that his creation may flourish and his kingdom might be made known.
Time: God Holds It in His Hands
Scripture tells us there is a season for everything (Ecclesiastes 3). Time itself is God’s creation. God gives us days and years not merely as empty containers to fill, but as his appointed moments to reveal his faithfulness.
Anxiety may rise in our hearts because we do not know what tomorrow will hold. However, we know the One who holds tomorrow. In Christ, God redeems our time by entering history, dying, and rising again for our salvation. He invites us to trust him daily, numbering our days with wisdom because they are his gracious gift.
Talents: God Equips His People
Every skill, ability, and gift comes from God. He fashions the craftsman’s hands, the singer’s voice, the leader’s vision, and the farmer’s endurance. When we work, it is God who first worked — creating, shaping, and sustaining the world.
In Jesus, God gives the Spirit to equip his people with spiritual gifts for building up the body of Christ and serving the world. Our talents are not accidents of birth or mere personal achievements; they are God’s investments in us for the sake of Jesus’ mission through his Church.
Treasure: God Provides Generously
Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Treasure — whether money, possessions, or resources — reveals what we value and where we place our trust. Yet before we ever give, God gives. God is our provider, “the Lord who provides” (Genesis 22:13-14).
Throughout history, God has raised up kings, leaders, and ordinary people with resources to serve his purposes. The early Church shared their possessions so that “there were no needy persons among them” (Acts 4:34). Our wealth finds its true purpose when it reflects the generosity of our divine giver.
Whole-Life Stewardship: God’s Generosity at Work
Whole-life stewardship is not simply an act of human obedience but a response to divine generosity. God has given us time, talents, and treasure as signs of his love and tools for his kingdom. In Jesus we see the ultimate generous act: “that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).
Because God is generous, we can live generously. Because the Father provides, we can share. Because the Spirit equips, we can trust that we are being conformed to the image of Christ. Whole-life stewardship begins and ends with our triune God.
By Kalengule Kaoma, Superintendent of Africa
Chongwe, Lusaka, Zambia
