Service and Stewardship (1 Cor. 4:1-2)

Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.
(1 Corinthians 4:1-2, NASB)

Followers of Christ should have both servants’ hearts and stewardship mentality.

Christ Himself illustrated a servant’s heart through the well known story of His washing the feet of His disciples (John 13:5-14). He told them—and He tells us—“If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” Paul wrote, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4, NKJV).

It’s not necessarily our natural inclination to be so selfless. We tend to think about what we want, what we need, what will fulfill our desires. But if our Savior was willing to take on flesh to provide for our salvation, can we do anything less than humble ourselves to serve others? In the same letter to the Philippians, Paul wrote, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (vv. 5-8).

We’re also to have a stewardship mentality. And, in reality, this should be easier for us than having a servant’s heart. Why, you ask? Because nothing we have, nothing we are, is ours. Nothing.

The Bible tells us that God is the owner of everything. Psalm 24:1 says that “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.” In other words, there is nothing on this earth, including us and our “stuff” that isn’t the Lord’s. It’s all His.

And if this is true—and it is—we’re merely managers or stewards of God’s stuff. Think of it this way: You’re an employee for someone. How do you treat the property, equipment, and materials of that employee? Do you break things? Overspend the budget? Disregard the rules and regulations? Or do you take care of the equipment you’ve been given? Stay within budget? Honor the rules and regulations?

I hope it’s the latter.

We’re blessed with so much, and we need to be good stewards of what God has given us.

And we need to treat others with servants’ hearts.

It’s the least we can do.