Monday Memo 1238: Managing What Belongs to God
“On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.” — 1 Thessalonians 2:4
Paul described himself in this verse with a word that shaped his entire understanding of ministry and purpose. He stated that he and his companions were “entrusted with the gospel.” The message he preached didn’t belong to him. It wasn’t something he invented, adjusted, or controlled. It was something placed in his care.
That word entrusted carries the idea of being given something valuable for safekeeping. Paul understood that he was not managing his own message, but managing what belonged to God. That single conviction explains much about his life. It tells us why he refused to alter his message to please people. It explains why he was willing to labor so intensely. And it explains why he endured criticism, hardship, and misunderstanding without abandoning his calling.
A steward answers to the owner, not the audience.
Paul repeated this idea often. Writing to the Corinthians, he said, “This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:1-2). Notice what Paul said is required. It’s not brilliance, growth, or popularity. It’s simply faithfulness.
This should change how we understand purpose. Purpose isn’t something you own. It’s something you manage. You didn’t create your calling, choose your assignment, or design your gifts. They were entrusted to you. That means you’re responsible not only to use them, but to sharpen and express them in a way that honors the One who gave them to you.
I’ve had to learn this lesson repeatedly in my own life. Over the years, I’ve often been tempted to measure my work by response, recognition, or results—books sold, likes on social media, size of the audience. But stewardship reminds me that success isn’t defined by visibility. My responsibility isn’t to impress people (or to please myself or make money), but to remain faithful to what God placed in my hands—whether that’s writing, teaching, mentoring, traveling, or quietly preparing something that may only bear fruit years later.
Jesus made stewardship one of His central teaching themes. He spoke often of servants left in charge while the master was away, of talents entrusted and later examined, of managers who would one day give an account. In every case, the issue was the same: What did you do with what was placed in your care?
The Old Testament had already established this pattern. Adam was placed in the garden “to work it and take care of it.” Joseph was entrusted with Potiphar’s household, then the jail, and later the entire economy of Egypt. Daniel was given responsibility in a foreign empire and remained faithful under pressure. Again and again, Scripture shows God advancing His purposes through people who understand that leadership is management, not ownership.
Stewardship also explains why labor matters so much. Stewards don’t decide what matters. They decide how faithfully they will manage what has been given. That’s why Paul labored so tirelessly, overcoming all kinds of obstacles. He wasn’t building his own platform. He was managing God’s assignment. And now, it’s our turn to do the same.
If God has entrusted you with gifts, influence, opportunities, relationships, or responsibilities, then your purpose isn’t to possess them—it’s to steward them well. One day, every steward stands before the Owner and gives an account. And on that day, the question won’t be how impressive you were, but how faithful.
Reflection
- What has God entrusted to you that you sometimes treat as your own rather than as His?
- Are there areas where pleasing people has begun to matter more than pleasing God?
- If faithfulness—not visibility—is God’s standard, how might that change the way you evaluate your work?
Prayer
Lord, remind me that everything I have comes from You and belongs to You. Help me to manage my calling, my gifts, and my opportunities with humility and care. Free me from the need to impress others, and teach me to live for Your approval alone. Make me a faithful steward of all You have placed in my hands. Amen.
Application
This week, identify one responsibility, gift, or opportunity you tend to treat as personal property or a hobby rather than as a trust from God. Consciously recommit it to Him. Ask how you can manage it more faithfully—not more impressively—and take one small step to honor the One who entrusted it to you.