Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Accountability

By: Barry G. Allen - President and CEO

     Among the important qualities of a mature steward is accountability.  A mature steward is accountable.

     A mature steward knows by nature what Jesus meant in the parable found in Luke 12:48, “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.”

     A mature steward lives each day knowing the end of the story is what Jesus taught in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:19, “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.”

     A mature steward enjoys a sense of security in knowing someone is overseeing him or her, and his or her efforts in behalf of the overseer, or master, matter.  This encourages initiative and quality in the mature steward’s efforts, which pleases the master. 

     On the other hand, a too cautious, do-nothing-for-fear-of-the-consequences attitude is totally unpleasant and distasteful to the master as revealed in that part of the parable found in Matthew 25:24-28.  “Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground.  See, here is what belongs to you.’ His master replied, ‘you wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?  Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents.  For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance.  Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.  And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”


     May we be faithful and accountable in our stewardship in 2011.

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