Life on Earth Is a Trust

Friday, Mar. 31, 2017

Our time on earth, our energy, intelligence, opportunities, relationships and resources are all gifts from God that he entrusts to our care and management. We are stewards of what God gives us. This concept of stewardship begins with the recognition that God is the owner of everything and everyone on earth. “The world and all that is in it belong to the Lord; the earth and all who live on it are his.” (Ps 24:1)

We never really own anything during our brief stay on earth. God just loans us his resources while we are here. It was God’s property before we arrived, and God will loan it to someone else after we die. 

When God created Adam and Eve, he appointed them trustees of his property: “[God] blessed them, and said, `Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth and bring it under their control. I am putting you in charge.’” (Gen 1:28)

The first job God gave humans was to take care of his “stuff’” on earth. This role has never been rescinded. It is a part of our purpose today. Everything we enjoy is to be treated as a trust God has placed in our hands. The Bible says, “What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if all you have is from God, why boast as though you have accomplished something on your own?” (1 Cor 4:2)

Rev. Rick Warren writes: “Years ago, a couple let my wife and me use their beautiful, beach-front home in Hawaii for a vacation. It was an experience we could never have afforded, and we enjoyed it immensely. We were told, ‘Use it just like it is yours,’ so we did! We swam in the pool, ate the food in the refrigerator and used the bath towels and dishes. But we knew all along that it wasn’t really ours, so we took special care of everything. We enjoyed the benefits of using the home without owning it.”

Our culture says, “If you don’t own it, you won’t take care of it.” But Christians live by a higher standard: “Because God owns it, I must take the best care of it that I can.” Jesus often referred to life as a trust and told many stories to illustrate this responsibility toward God. In the story of the talents, (Mt 25:14-29) a businessman entrusts his wealth to the care of his servants while he is away. When he returns, he evaluates each servant’s responsibility and rewards them accordingly. The owner says, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness.”

At the end of our life on earth we will be evaluated and rewarded according to how well we handled what God entrusted to us. That means everything we do, even simple daily chores, have eternal implications. If we treat everything as a trust, God promises three rewards in eternity. First, we will be given God’s affirmation: He will say, “Well done!” Next, we will be given greater responsibility in eternity: “I will put you in charge of many things.” Then we will celebrate: “Come and share your Master’s happiness.”

Most people fail to realize that money is both a test and a trust from God. God uses finances to teach us to trust him, and for many, money is the greatest test of all. God watches how we use money to test how trustworthy we are. “If you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?” (Lk 16:11)

This is a very important truth. God says there is a direct relationship between how we use our money and the quality of our spiritual life. How we manage our money determines how much God can trust us with spiritual blessings. We should ask ourselves: Is the way in which we manage our money preventing God from doing more in our life? 

Jesus said, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” (Lk 12:48) Life is a test and a trust, and the more God gives us, the more responsible he expects us to be.