Ownership Versus Stewardship

I've been reflecting a lot on the difference between ownership and stewardship in a believer’s life when it comes to worldly possessions. Spiritually, I believe God wants us to take responsibility and "own" our lives. We should make sure that our free will aligns with God's will each day, living in a way that honors Jesus and taking full responsibility for our actions and thoughts.

To me, ownership means loving something enough to care for it because it belongs to us. I remember when I was growing up and bought my first pair of Air Jordans. My parents helped pay, but I also chipped in some money. Those were the first shoes I kept in the box, saved the paper that came with them, and wiped down every time I wore them. (Oh, if I still had those shoes now, they'd be worth a fortune!) I had other shoes like Avilas and Reeboks, but nothing compared to my Jordans.

Then I thought about stewardship. It’s understanding that something isn’t really ours but that we’ve been trusted to look after it as if it were. Whatever the thing is, it’s important because we respect the owner and recognize that they trusted us with it. Now, think about our relationship with God. Everything we have on earth isn’t truly ours—because we understand that everything comes from Christ. Even the breath in our lungs is on loan until God calls us home to be with Him. With stewardship in mind, it’s crucial to know the true owner—God—and to seek His heart above all else.

So, when we compare ownership and stewardship, stewardship with Christ sums up all I mentioned about ownership, but with a heart focused on caring for what God has given us. Recognizing true stewardship as a follower of Christ also means we don’t have to worry about what we have or don’t have because it’s God who provides. Sometimes He asks us to let go of things, and I’ve been able to give away possessions and bless others because I know everything I own is just on loan from God.

Today, I encourage you to take a moment and examine your life—look at what you consider your possessions, no matter how much value they hold for you. Also, think about what you dream about. Are your goals based on material things, or are they opportunities to bless others and maybe even help someone who doesn’t know Jesus take their next step with Him? I want to be clear: there’s nothing wrong with enjoying nice things. But if those things dominate your thoughts or if you believe you truly own them—as if they’re not just on loan from God—you need to reassess your priorities.

God has wonderful things for us when we understand that all we have belongs to Him, and we’re just stewards, not owners, of what’s on this earth.