Stewardship is ALL of me in response to ALL of God (Matt 22:37-39). Stewardship starts with God as the Creator Owner of the Universe who made Adam and Eve after His own image. With His personal touch, God established an intimate relationship and union with humanity that was to be nurtured in the intimacy of time spent together. This shared image and shared intimacy are foundational to understanding the spirit and dynamics of biblical stewardship. God established Adam and Eve as rulers over the earth (Gen. 1:26-28).

Through this act, God made them His partners over creation — placing the entire world as their trust in shared governance with Him. It was in Eden that humanity first became stewards, and acted as God’s agents on earth. In this sense, God established a relationship of interdependence with humanity. The awesome concept of God’s dependence upon humanity is crucial to our accepting full dependence upon Him. When sin entered the world, it shattered and distorted God’s creation and separated humankind from God.

The union with the Creator was broken, the image of God was marred, the shared governance was surrendered, and this earth became sin’s domain. In Jesus Christ, God restored this divine-human relationship and re-established His kingdom on earth. Thus the gospel provides reconciliation between God and humanity as Christ became the second Adam, winning back humanity’s lost stewardship. Today, stewardship begins with the recognition of God’s sovereignty as Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer and Owner. Through the incarnation, Christ identified Himself fully with humanity.

The shared intimacy of God with humankind is embodied in Jesus Christ—the God-man. His life and death form the basis of a renewed relationship with God. Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the living presence of Jesus restores the reality of a shared intimacy between God and us. For more stewardship resources browse to the General Conference Stewardship website.