Stewardship is first and foremost an ethic that embodies the responsible planning and management of resources, such as the environment and nature, the economy, health, property, information, theology, and cultural resources. Any of these could be within the family household, community, nation, or the world as a whole. On whatever level, stewardship is a commitment to safeguard the valuables of others. The earth and all of her elements need as much stewardship now as we can manage.
A good steward is like a focused pilot in flight, continually vigilant to stay on course but also capable of making necessary midcourse corrections. How have you experienced or expressed stewardship in your life? Have you ever had to step up to take care of something you weren’t expecting? How did this turn out for you? Where did your motivation to do what was called for come from? What kind of service or action were you able to offer? Tell your story of when you experienced or expressed any form of stewardship in your life, and how this changed things for you.