When Paul described himself as a steward he was implying that God had given him a responsibility to proclaim the Gospel and to nurture new believers. God was the author and source of the Good News, but Paul understood that he was responsible to share in the spreading of the Gospel. He understood this responsibility to be from God and his own spiritual well-being depended upon fulfilling that responsibility. Paul saw himself as a steward, called by God to serve the Church.
One of the core values of the Diocesan Pastoral Plan is stewardship. It is a powerful reminder that being a Christian is not about being a member of some club, a well-placed family or anything else that might imply a “free ride”. Being a Christian involves a tremendous responsibility. One of the primary ways Christ is present in the world is through the Christian faithful. Christ works in the world through us. When we are baptized we are brought into the Body of Christ. We are empowered to proclaim the Gospel, We are empowered to help make society and the world aware of its sacred character, to help the Faithful realize how holy they are and to live out that holiness. We are empowered to lead and to teach.
We are transformed into stewards of the Good News and stewards who will nurture the emergence of the Kingdom of God in the lives of the believers. We can’t simply sit back and expect the Lord to magically roll out the Kingdom of God. Certainly, the Kingdom of God is God’s work. Yet, we are his stewards and we have a big role in that divine work. It is a result of our participation in that work that we are transformed and sanctified. God is inviting us to share in that work.
Stewardship as a core value of the Diocesan Pastoral Plan acknowledges that each of us has a responsibility to Christ and to the Church, as well as a role to play in the realization of the pastoral plan. Each of the goals and objectives outlined in the pastoral plan must be realized by the efforts of communities and individuals. Each of us has a responsibility to contribute to the realization of those goals and objectives.
Often when people talk of stewardship they mention time, talent and treasure. While the terms have almost become a cliché, there is some truth to these terms. When we act as stewards we invest what we have in meeting our responsibilities. What we have to invest in anyone or anything are the moments that make up our lives (time), the skills that we can bring to the task (talent) and the material resources to which we have access (treasure). Paul was a successful evangelist because he dedicated a great deal of time to that responsibility. He also had theological and writing skills that aided him in his ministry. He dedicated those skills to proclaiming the Good News.
One way to tell how important something is to a person is by what they invest in it. To that which is most important to us, we dedicate everything. It is our first priority. That is why spending time with those we love is important. It clearly shows that they are important to us because we invest the moments of our life in them. We may say that our faith is important to us but if we don’t invest our time, talent or treasure, then our words are hollow. There is no substance to them.