Four Pillars of Stewardship
Stewardship makes each of us aware that we all have a “calling” to gratitude and responsibility – in our families and friendships, in our work, in whatever we do and wherever we go. Stewardship is a spirituality – a way of life – that should compel us to act in four principal ways:
- Receive the gifts of God with gratitude
- Cultivate those gifts responsibly
- Share them lovingly in justice with others
- Stand before the Lord in a spirit of accountability
As you welcome and review this concept yearly, your commitment and responsibility for your relationship with God deepens, encouraging you to participate and engage in your community of faith even further. Archbishop Wenski defines this as the “Theology of the Gift”.
Each of us must decide how we will live out a stewardship way of life. We first must recognize that everything in life is a gift from God. We then must desire to be true and committed disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ. As members of the Catholic Church, Jesus calls us to be His disciples. This has astonishing implications:
- Mature disciples make a conscious decision to follow Jesus, no matter what the cost.
- Disciples experience conversion – a life shaping change of heart and mind – and commit themselves to the Lord.
- Christian stewards respond in a specific way to discipleship. It radically transforms the way they live their lives.