Whose Money Is It? Learning to Steward What Belongs to God
Every journey needs a destination.
If you are going on a road trip, you need to know where you are starting from, where you are going, and how to adjust along the way. The same is true of our finances.
Last week, in our Balanced series, we talked about the importance of knowing where we are. The challenge was simple: track every dollar for seven days. Not to create shame. Not to panic. Not to fix everything immediately. Just to see.
But once we know where we are, we need to ask a deeper question:
Where are we going?
What is the objective of our financial life?
For some people, the goal is simply to make it to the next payday. For others, it is to make as much as possible, spend as much as possible, save as much as possible, give everything away, or become financially free enough to do whatever they want.
Some of those goals may contain wisdom. Making more can be helpful. Saving is important. Giving is beautiful. Enjoying what God has given is good. But none of those, on their own, gives us a complete biblical objective.
Why?
Because each of them can quietly assume the same thing: this money is mine to direct however I want.
But followers of Jesus have to ask a better question:
Whose money is it?
Scripture gives us the answer.
In 1 Chronicles 29, David prays after the people of God give generously toward the building of the temple. Instead of saying, “Look how much we gave to God,” David says, “Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.”
That prayer gives us three pillars for our financial lives:
Everything we have belongs to God.
Everything we have comes from God.
Everything we have should be under God’s rule.
God is the owner. We are stewards.
That means our financial life does not begin with the question, “What do I want to do with my money?”
It begins with the question, “How does Jesus, the owner, want me to manage His stuff?”
This is a major shift.
Our culture constantly tells us to think in terms of ownership: my money, my body, my life, my job, my business, my future, my plans. But if we follow Jesus, every part of our lives comes under His loving leadership.
That includes our finances.
Moses gives the same warning in Deuteronomy 8. As the people of God prepared to enter the promised land, he warned them not to settle into prosperity and say, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.”
It is easy to believe that.
My work.
My effort.
My education.
My skills.
My career.
My discipline.
My opportunity.
And yes, work matters. Planning matters. Education matters. Wisdom matters. Effort matters.
But Moses reminds us that even the ability to produce wealth comes from the Lord.
Who gave you the ability to work?
Who gave you the strength to keep going?
Who opened doors?
Who gave you favour?
Who sustained you when you wanted to quit?
Everything comes from God.
Jesus reinforces this in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. A master goes on a journey and entrusts different amounts to his servants. One receives five talents, one receives two, and one receives one.
Each servant receives something.
Each servant receives a different amount.
Each servant is given time to be faithful.
Each servant is personally accountable.
Each servant is noticed by the master.
The point is not that salvation is earned by how we handle money. Salvation is by grace through Jesus.
But the parable reminds us that what we do with what God has entrusted to us matters to God.
That includes our money, but it is not limited to money. It includes our time, our bodies, our marriages, our families, our abilities, our work, our opportunities, and our responsibilities.
All of life comes under the lordship of Jesus.
So we are not owners first. We are managers.
That does not mean we should feel guilty for enjoying what God has given us. Faithful stewardship does not eliminate enjoyment.
Ecclesiastes reminds us that it is good and appropriate for a person to eat, drink, and find satisfaction in their labour. God gives gifts, and we can receive them with gratitude.
Faithful management can include enjoyment.
But enjoyment is not the only category.
With what God has placed in our hands, we are called to spend, save, give, and enjoy — all under the leadership of Jesus.
Our job is not to eliminate one of those categories. Our job is to bring them all before the Lord and ask Him what place each should have.
That brings us back to the three laws of balance:
First, we need a clear reference point.
We need to know where our money is going. That is why tracking matters. It gives us clarity. It shows us where we are.
Second, we need a clear objective.
Our objective is not to honour ourselves. Our objective is to honour God with His stuff. We are stewards of what He has given us.
Third, we need constant correction.
As we walk with Jesus, we keep adjusting. We keep asking. We keep surrendering. We keep bringing our finances back under His leadership.
This calls for surrender.
We often pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done,” but have we prayed that over our finances?
Have we surrendered our paycheque?
Our spending?
Our saving?
Our giving?
Our enjoying?
Our plans?
Our goals?
Our stuff?
The invitation is not to hide in shame. The invitation is to bring the whole picture to Jesus.
If you look honestly and see mistakes, you do not need to run from God. You can come to Him. Grace does not just save us. Grace empowers us to change.
So this week, look at what you tracked. Choose one area of spending, saving, giving, or enjoying, and bring it before the Lord.
Ask Him:
Am I approaching this as an owner or as a manager?
How would You have me manage what You have given me?
Jesus, what would You have me change?
Then make one correction in that direction.
Not everything at once. Just one faithful step.
Because everything belongs to God.
Everything comes from God.
Everything is meant to come under God’s leadership.
And when we understand that, our financial question changes.
Not, “What do I do with my money?”
But, “Jesus, how do You want me to manage what belongs to You?”
Last week’s challenge was to track every dollar. What did that process reveal about where money is going?
The sermon asked, “Whose money is it?” Why is that such an important starting question?
What is the difference between thinking like an owner and thinking like a steward?
David prayed, “Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.” How does that reshape the way we think about generosity?
Moses warned the people not to say, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” Where are we tempted to think this way?
In the parable of the talents, each servant was entrusted with something different. Why is comparison dangerous when it comes to stewardship?
The sermon said faithful management can include enjoyment. Why is that important to remember?
Of the four categories — spend, save, give, and enjoy — which one do you find easiest? Which one needs more surrender?
What would it look like to pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done,” over your finances?
What is one correction you sense Jesus inviting you to make this week?