Ldg W/ Wisdom, Vision & Value

5.1 Devotion: The Good Steward, Part 5

Getting Started

The Good Steward: Part 5 – Resourcefulness and Responsibility

As Luke’s gospel describes Jesus’ ministry and what it means to be part of the kingdom of God, the good steward theme resonates through several stories. Thus far, we have looked at key ideas such as reality, resources, readiness, and reliability. Perhaps one might wrongly equate being a steward with being robot-like and just doing what one is told to do. However, frequent themes associated with the good steward also are resourcefulness and responsibility. If you accept the steward perspective on the purpose of resources, then responsibility takes on a different meaning. If you accept the steward implications of readiness, then resourcefulness and responsibility take on different meanings (and so on). The passages for this workshop will help you focus on the resourcefulness and responsibility elements.

Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to:

· Recognize strong leadership skills through leaders in the Bible.

Background Information

Read (new tab) / Listen (new tab)  to Luke 18:1-8 and  read (new tab) / listen (new tab)  to Luke 19:11-27.

Jesus tells another parable to show his disciples (good stewards) “that they should always pray and not give up” ( New International Version Bible, 1973/1984, Luke 18:1b). We could say that not only are good stewards reliable (the theme from the last workshop) but that they are also reliant. That is, they keep in constant contact and dependence with God, the owner of all – they always pray. Additionally, they do not give up.

Although refusing to give up could mean continually doing something (e.g., the right thing to do), we should also consider the resourcefulness embedded in the phrase “not give up.” In other words, sometimes continuing to do the same thing is not the right pathway. Rather, developing new, innovative approaches may be required. Despite alternative methods, what remains consistent as evidenced in the Luke 18 passage is consistency with why we engage persistence and innovation. The widow in the passage was seeking justice. She was not just being blindly persistent. She had a “why” and she adopted the means necessary to achieve her goal. Jesus’ application to his disciples was a call to continue to cry out for the good and the right. They must not quit. They must figure out how to overcome hurdles. Good stewards are resourceful. 

In the context of Luke’s gospel and his emphasis on the arrival of the kingdom of God and how we should be living and leading as good stewards, the parable of the ten minas actually contributes to a strong claim – the kingdom of God is here because the king is here. Just prior to this workshop’s passage Jesus says, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” ( New International Version Bible, 1973/1984, Luke 19:9–10). Then, immediately following the parable, Luke records the triumphal entry scene, reflecting imagery and themes of ancient Israel’s coronation ceremony for their kings (cf. vv. 28–39). Those two “brackets” to this workshop’s passage help us understand its placement and point. When the king has come back, it is time to take responsibility for our stewardship that occurred (or not) during the king’s absence. Each of the servants in the parable was entrusted with “something” during the absence. Each is held responsible for their stewardship when the king returns. Some fared well (good stewards). Others did not fare well (poor stewards).

After you have read the two passages, consider the following prompts:

1. As you think about your life and your work as a leader, how have you demonstrated  resourcefulness and  responsibility (or not)? Where have you given up? Where have you refused to quit and have overcome obstacles? How have you held others responsible? How can clear responsibility benefit leaders and organizations?

2. If you have a perspective different from a Christian worldview, what does that perspective suggest about resourcefulness and responsibility as important characteristics of leadership?

3. How might resourcefulness and responsibility distinguish a good steward from a poor steward?

4. As you consider resourcefulness, in what ways have your attitudes and actions been more consistent with being an “owner” or “poor steward” versus being a “good steward?”

5. As you consider responsibility, in what ways have your attitudes and actions been more consistent with being an “owner” or “poor steward” versus being a “good steward?”

6. What are some initial ideas on how you could begin to make an owner/poor steward, good steward shift in those areas?

Based on the above prompts, write a one-half to one-page reflection paper that connects stewardship to your own demonstration of resourcefulness and responsibility.

Instructions

1. Review the Bible text and prompts provided in the Getting Started and Background Information sections. 

2. Write a one-half to one-page reflection paper (Word document; @250 words double-spaced = 1 page) that shares your thoughts/perspectives on the themes of this  

3. You do not need to “answer” each of the prompts. Rather, use them to stimulate your thinking. Then, write a meaningful discussion of the important insights or even questions that emerge during your reflection.