There are many ways we could spend our hard-earned money—from cruise vacations and cabaret dinner shows to expensive cars and fancy clothes. And there are many ways we could use our gifts and talents and spend our time. But I believe everything, including our testimonies, belongs to God; we are to manage them for his glory (Psalm 24:1-6; Matthew 28:18-20; 1 Corinthians 10:26).

As you consider the future of your estate, I encourage you to think about these helpful, Bible-based perspectives:

  1. Stewardship should be from the heart. Giving should be in the manner portrayed in the story of the widow’s two mites: “…I tell you that this poor widow put in more than all the others. For the others offered their gifts from what they had to spare of their riches; but she, poor as she is, gave all she had to live on” (Luke 21:3-4, GNTD).
  2. Stewardship should be deliberate. We are to serve our neighbors in this manner: “Each one, as a good manager of God’s different gifts, must use for the good of others the special gift he has received from God” (1 Peter 4:10, GNTD). And in the manner that John answered the crowd in Luke 3:11: “…Whoever has two shirts must give one to the man who has none, and whoever has food must share it” (Luke 3:11, GNTD).

    So, giving requires resolve. And the life we live is our greatest testimony. People will see the Holy Spirit at work by the way we treat them and others, and in the way we serve them and others (Matthew 5:16).
  3. Stewardship should be generous. God does not ask us to give all that we have, only to be good stewards of what he has entrusted to us. This is spelled out in 1 Timothy 6:17-19: “Command those who are rich in the things of this life not to be proud, but to place their hope, not in such an uncertain thing as riches, but in God, who generously gives us everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share with others. In this way they will store up for themselves a treasure which will be a solid foundation for the future. And then they will be able to win the life which is true life” (GNTD).

We know that stewardship means more than giving money, and it doesn’t take a millionaire to make a significant difference in the lives of the less fortunate. Even small acts of kindness can make a drastic difference in the lives of others.

For more information on how you can partner with American Bible Society to leave a lasting legacy, please visit our “Contact Us” page. One of our Regional Advisors would be glad to connect with you.