How Our View of God Shapes Our Stewardship

A.W. TOZER once said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” That simple yet profound truth highlights how our view of God shapes every aspect of our lives, including how we steward what He has entrusted to us. In Matthew 25:14–30, Jesus tells the Parable of the Talents. A master, preparing to leave on a journey, entrusts three servants with varying amounts of money. Two of them invest what they’ve received and are commended. But the third, driven by fear, buries the money. When the master returns, he condemns him, calling him a “wicked and slothful servant” (Matthew 25:26). At first, the punishment may seem harsh. But this parable reveals more than financial failure—it reveals a heart issue. The servant didn’t trust his master. He said, “Master, I knew you to be a hard man...so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground” (Matthew 25:24–25). That fear led to inaction. How We View God Could Lead to Fear His failure wasn’t merely financial mismanagement—it was a misunderstanding of his master’s character. This is the danger of a faulty view of God. When we perceive God as an unrelenting taskmaster, we naturally shrink back—afraid to fail, hesitant to step out, reluctant to engage with what He has given us. We bury our talents—whether our time, resources, or gifts—assuming He is more interested in punishment than partnership. But Scripture tells us: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love” (1 John 4:18). The other two servants responded differently. Their obedience was rooted not in fear, but in trust. And because they trusted their master, they acted boldly. Their reward? “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:21).

IF WE TRULY KNOW HIM, WE WILL STEP FORWARD IN FAITH, EAGER TO INVEST OUR LIVES IN HIS WORK.

Obedience as a Privilege Notice that their reward was more than increased responsibility—it was joy. Their obedience was not a transaction; it was a relationship. Faithfulness flowed from knowing the heart of the one they served. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 3:9: “For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.”

We’re not subjects under a tyrant, we are partners with a generous King—coheirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). Rather than obedience being our gift back to God, obedience becomes His gift to us because He is choosing to involve us in His redemptive work in the world.

Rather than obedience being our gift back to God, obedience becomes His gift to us because He is choosing to involve us in His redemptive work in the world. Knowing Our Master The tragedy of the third servant was not just what he failed to do, but what he failed to see. He didn’t know his master. And tragically, many will miss out on the joy of the kingdom not because they weren’t gifted, but because they never truly trusted the Giver. In fact, I would venture to say that when some meet Jesus, they may not hear “I never knew you” (Matthew 7:23) but rather, “You never knew Me.” But if we truly know Him, we will step forward in faith, eager to invest our lives in His work. God invites us to see Him as He truly is. And when we do, we’ll hear those beautiful words: “Well done, good and faithful servant...Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:23).

How Our View of God Shapes Our Stewardship

By Taylor Standridge

October 31, 2025

IF WE TRULY KNOW HIM, WE WILL STEP FORWARD IN FAITH, EAGER TO INVEST OUR LIVES IN HIS WORK.

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