When we think of stewardship, we think of tangibles and rightly so. But as we have now seen, stewardship goes beyond that. Like tangible possessions, intangible gifts come from God as well. These intangibles are spiritual possessions that God gives to us (1 Pet. 4:10) so that we can, in Christ, develop Christian characters and become the people we can be in Him. Thus, we must manage intangible gifts even more carefully than tangible ones, because they are infinitely more valuable.
Read Ephesians 6:13-17. What have we been given by God that we are to be stewards of? Why is the proper management of these things so crucial to us?
“The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23, NKJV). The world, and all that it offers, cannot offer us the redemption that we have in Christ. Redemption, a gift God gives to us, is our most valuable possession. Keeping the reality of this redemption always before us helps us maintain perspective in our stewardship of other possessions given to us from God as well.
“Only in the light that shines from Calvary can nature’s teaching be read aright. Through the story of Bethlehem and the cross let it be shown how good is to conquer evil, and how every blessing that comes to us is a gift of redemption.” - Ellen G. White, Education, p. 101.
Redemption is ours only because Jesus paid the ultimate price. Paul clearly states, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7, NKJV). The words “we have” mean that we have “redemption.” It is ours, but only because God has given it to us. How crucial, then, that we keep on “the whole armor of God” (Eph. 6:11, NKJV), in order that the evil one doesn’t come and take it away. For the only way he can do this is if we allow him to, which will happen only if we don’t obey what is revealed to us in “the word of God” (Eph. 6:17). Our greatest protection is by obeying, in faith, the light we have been given.
Read again Ephesians 6:13-17. How do we put on the armor of God, and in what ways are we stewards of all that we have been given in that armor?
