Thriving Family Principle: Steward not Owner

Do you think of yourself as a steward or an owner?

For a long time, I thought I was in charge.  I acted like an owner.

As a kid, I got good grades.  I got into a good university.  I got good grades again.  I got a good job.  I traded that good job for a better job.  I worked hard.  I took care of clients.  I had a great wife and two healthy young kids.  I made a bunch of money.  But, I wasn’t fulfilled.  Why?

That’s the question I kept asking myself in my early 30’s!

DIGGING DEEPER

Looking for answers, I started studying the Bible.  I started pondering verses like:

For from him and through him and to him are all things… (Rom. 11:36)

You are not your own; you were bought at a price… (1 Cor. 6:19-20)

You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth... (Deut. 8:17-18)

The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it. (Psa. 24:1)

"The silver is mine, and the gold is mine," declares the LORD Almighty. (Haggai 2:8)

His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!” (Matt. 25:21)

STEWARDSHIP

I started to realize that God was in charge of everything, not just the few things I had previously acknowledged.

I came to realize that God had given me amazing parents who valued education and faith.  God had placed me in the United States near the zenith of its power where hard work in business generally leads to financial gain.  I realized I was just stewarding what He had given me.

In a new and wonderful way, my anxiety fell.  Before my realization that I was a steward not an owner, the weight was heavy to do everything under my own power.

Once I realized I was managing God’s resources and wasn’t fully in charge, I felt the pressure recede. I realized that the Creator of the universe was offering to tell me how to handle His resources in the best possible way if I would just ask!  As I practiced this new way of living, my confidence rose as my decision-making improved and my performance went up dramatically!

At Archetype, we have a set of twelve principles designed to help families thrive across generations. Check out more from our "Thriving Family Principles" series.