The concept and promotion of stewardship can be tricky. Those who present stewardship run the risk of coming across like a used car salesman—twisting arms to squeeze every nickel out of people. From the perspective of a conference president, when thinking about raising funds for ministries such as evangelism, Sunnydale Academy, and Camp Heritage, I understand that many of our churches are operating on budgets that continue to tighten as the cost of insurance and utilities rises.
Less than six months into pastoral ministry, I found myself sitting in the home of a couple who had attended a prophecy seminar our church had hosted. They had decided to follow Jesus, be baptized, and become members of the local church. They were excited. I was excited. The church was excited.
As we studied in preparation for this step in their lives, we came to the topic of tithe. I could see their uneasiness as we went from verse to verse. In my mind, I wondered what they were thinking. Were they seeing this as a step in their faith journey, or as a young pastor trying to fill the offering plate?
I didn’t have to wait long for the answer. The looks on their faces revealed fear. They were mentally calculating how they would survive on an already tight budget if they gave 10 percent, plus offerings. They talked about car repairs, falling behind on bills, and simply trying to make ends meet on a fixed income.
I had already shared Mal. 3:10, where God invites us to bring the full tithe and trust Him to open the windows of heaven. As I sat there listening to them process their situation, God impressed something on my heart. He prompted me to tell them to try returning tithe and offerings for three months—and if they ended up in a worse financial position, I would make up the difference.
I resisted. “Lord, You want me to make up the difference? We’re a one income family with a baby, and our financial situation isn’t much better than theirs. How can You ask me to do this?”
But the Creator of the world was not going to yield to my hesitation. This was His prompting, and I had to choose whether to follow. With hesitant and nervous faith, I made the appeal—and they accepted.
More with less
It was less than a month later when I realized God was teaching both this couple and a young pastor the true meaning of stewardship. They came to me at church and shared stories of what I have heard many times since: they couldn’t explain it other than as a miracle from God. They were able to do more with less. God had proven faithful. Since deciding that the first check they would write was for tithe and offerings, their money seemed to go further than before.
When we think about stewardship, we often think about money. In reality, stewardship is about faithfulness and trust—believing that God will take care of our every need. Stewardship is about trusting God when He asks us to do something that doesn’t seem to make sense or add up on paper.
Words that don’t often appear in sermons on stewardship—but perhaps should—come from Prov. 3:5–6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
At times in our Christian walk, God will ask us to take steps of faith in many areas of life. Let us take those steps of faith in stewardship, trusting in His care over us.
Lee Rochholz, president, Iowa-Missouri Conference
