1 Corinthians 4:2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful ( ESV).
When my late mentor taught us on stewardship of money, he told us a story of what happened after he received honorarium of N200,000 from his host after one of his ministrations.
The Holy Spirit instructed him not to spend the money. He kept the money and waited for the next order. After sometime, his host called telling him God instructed him to add to the honorarium he gave him previously and make it up to a million naira.
After receiving the additional honorarium, the Holy Spirit reminded him that he once desired to buy a vehicle for the pastor that conducted his wedding because he lacked mobility. He was instructed to get him a good car. Quickly, he added to the honorarium he received and got his pastor a good car.
I also have a similar experience in this regard. Sometime ago, I had good amount of money with me to give as tithe. The Holy Spirit instructed I keep it. The money was with me in cash and went everywhere with me.
On a certain day, while in the office, I had a leading to visit the bank. I went to the bank for no reason. As I stepped out of the banking hall, I had barely walked a kilometre, I met a lady evangelist I have known from way back. We greeted and the Holy Spirit instructed I give her the tithe he instructed me to keep. I obeyed gladly.
When she received the money, she told me what happened was a miracle because a church invited her for ministration but she had no transport fare. She was stranded at that point. The Holy Spirit instructed her to come to the market area where the bank was.
She left home without any hope of where to get transport fare but she knew the Spirit of God instructed she come to the location where I was. She prayed for me and left for her ministration. I had a strange peace of mind after giving that money to her. That is just one out of the several experiences i've had as regards stewardship of money.
Dearest, you own nothing, God owns everything and he determines how to use the resources he has given to you. He owns your life and that makes him the owner of every other thing: talent, money, skill, degree, etc
As new creation, we have lost the right to live for ourselves because our lives are already given: "He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them"(2 Cor 5:15).
The spirit and pride of materialism is what makes us think like owners instead of stewards. A steward cannot own, he can only keep, manage and supervise. We need to detach from worldliness and see ourselves the way God sees us.
If we attach ourselves to worldly things, it doesn't cost God anything to take us home so he can have us. It is not a sin to have worldly things but it is a sin when worldly thihgs have us.
That is why Paul says, "After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it"( 1 Tim 6:7).
Father, I thank you for your word. Now I know i'm a steward of everything in my care. Lord, help me to become a good steward and let all traces of selfishness be eliminated in my life in Jesus name.