BEING a good steward of your finances is being good in managing the inflow and outflow of your finances. This means we have to give a name for every peso that comes out from your pocket.
Why do we need to be a good steward of our finances? They always say that it all starts with a very little amount. How you handle P10,000 is the same thing as how you will handle P100,000. Remember, that being a good steward is not to impress people but how you can afford what they can’t afford. In this world, everything that happens, has its reason.
Stop blaming the older generation why you were born in a poor family set-up. Your perspective will determine your future. The bible makes it clear that the standard for good stewardship is that we are to be both faithful and disciplined. We must be faithful on what we are doing, just like how great people do little things with excellence.
There is a story in a bible entitled, the parable of the talents. The “Parable of the Talents” offers some powerful insights into effective investment and personal growth. This is my personal thought about the story.
The story about the three servants:
“A man went away and put his three servants in charge of all he owned. The man knew what each servant could do. So he handed 5,000 coins to the first servant, 2,000 to the second and 1,000 to the third. Then he left the country.” Each servant were entrusted coins of different amount based on their ability to do.
God knows your ability on how you handle resources. We pray and ask God for what we want, but God knows how we can handle our finances. It is important
that we learn how to be a good
steward.
The story continues “As soon as the man had gone, the servant with the 5,000 coins used them to earn 5,000 more. The servant who had 2,000 coins did the same with his money and earned 2,000 more.
But the servant with a thousand coins dug a hole and hid his master’s money in the ground.”
Look at what the three servants did.
In handling our finances we have different perspective but applying this principle will help us to be a good steward of things entrusted to us. We have to use it properly no matter how small the amount and what risk it may take.
As the story continues:
“Some time later the master of those servants returned. He called them in and asked what they had done with his money. The servant who had been given five thousand coins brought them in with the five thousand that he had earned.
He said, “Sir, you gave me five thousand coins, and I have earned five thousand more. “Wonderful!” his master replied. “You are a good and faithful servant. I left you in charge of only a little, but now I will put you in charge of much more. Come and share in my happiness! Next, the servant who had been given two thousand coins said the same what the first servant did and his master replied same thing.
The servant who had been given one thousand coins then came in and said: “Sir, I know that you are hard to get along with. You harvest what you don’t plant and gather crops where you haven’t scattered seed. I was frightened and went out and hid your money in the ground. Here is every single coin!”
The master of the servant told him: “You are lazy and good-for-nothing! You know that I harvest what I don’t plant and gather crops where I haven’t scattered seed. You could have at least put my money in the bank, so that I could have earned interest on it.”
As you see, the story worked for the three servant. As we end this article, let me ask you these questions:
- How good are you in handing your finances today?
- Do you think God can give you more?
- How good are you in handling small amount of money?
- How wisely you are in spending?
May this story help learn lessons that will help your personal growth and how to be a good steward. To help you plan wisely and skillfully for the finances you are blessed with, you will need someone to coach how.
Rodora Mendoza is a registered financial planner of RFP Philippines. To learn more about personal-financial planning, attend the 89th RFP program this May 2021. To inquire, e-mail [email protected] or text at 0917-6248110.