It's so easy to think of Christian Stewardship as pertaining only to the three "T's" of Time, Talent, and Treasure. But our commonly used definition of Christian stewardship indicates that stewardship is about a whole lot more than time, talent, and treasure. Our definition states that:
"Christian stewardship is the free and joyous activity of the child of God and God's family, the church, in managing all of life and life's resources for God's purposes."
TESTIMONY is the "T" for this article. It might seem a bit strange to talk about the stewardship of testimony.
Jesus instructed His disciples of all ages to make disciples, teaching and baptizing and encouraging people to follow God's teachings (Matthew 28:18-20). He also told His first disciples that they were to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
As modern day disciples we also desire to be faithful witnesses, saying and doing all that we can to give witness to our Lord Jesus Christ who wants everyone to be saved and come know the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). This encourages us to share the good news of Jesus with uncommitted or unconnected people in such a way that the Holy Spirit has the opportunity to work faith in their hearts.
St. Peter in his first letter (3:15) instructs us with these words:
"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Be ready at all times to give an answer to everyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you. But do this with gentleness and respect."
What a privilege to be able to do the work that the angels of God long to do---that is, give our testimony of the joy, peace, and hope that are ours because of the redeeming work of Jesus Christ. And what added joy we will have to take into eternity when the words of Daniel 12:3 come true:
"The wise leaders will shine with all the brightness of the sky. And those who have taught many people to do what is right will shine like the stars forever and ever."
Christian stewardship is definitely about our use of time, talent, and treasure, but it is also about our testimony as Christians.
When it comes to our Testimony of the Good News of Jesus, as with our other acts of stewardship, we desire to be maturing stewards who do the right things for the right reasons and strive for excellence in all we do!
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