A group of men recently worked out a statement of the principles of stewardship and the methods of applying these principles to life. These principles are worthy of careful study and wide adoption. In May, 1912, they were adopted by the governing body of one of the denominations as the guiding principles and methods for that church.
Principles of Stewardship.—God is the Giver and is the Absolute Owner of All things.—This invincible conviction lies at the base of all correct thinking about stewardship. To commit oneself to the inspiring idea that God is the owner of all things is to take all bitterness and drudgery out of stewardship. When a man realizes what kind of a God he has, that he purposes his best for every man and wants him to know how rich and powerful and loving his Father is, the practise of stewardship becomes one of the enriching joys of life. The base-line of all geographical measurements is the level of the sea; prairies or mountains or canyons are all measured from this same base-line. It is a unit of measure. Likewise the ownership of God is the base-line for all measurements of truth about property. Having laid down and accepted this fundamental proposition that God is the owner of all there follows another truth or corollary, namely,
Under grace man is a steward, and the steward holds and administers that which he has as a sacred trust. Life is a trust, not a possession. We are stewards of money, not creators. Receiving a trust and rendering an account are inseparable. Responsibility and accountability are twin brothers.
God's ownership and man's stewardship are best evidenced by the systematic application of a portion of income to the advancement of the Kingdom. Giving should be regular. All educational processes are made effective by continuous repetition. The needs of the work are also regular and therefore call for regular contributions. This application of a portion of income should be stated. It is a definite transaction with a real personal God. It involves amounts, totals and increments. It should be worshipful, remembering who he is to whom we bring the returns of our labor, and in order that there may be the largest blessing every offering should be an act of worship. It should be sacrificial, bearing in mind that no fraction set aside can exhaust our responsibility or express the depth of true love for God.
Biblical and extra-Biblical history point to the setting aside of the tenth of the income as a minimum, and indicate a divine sanction of the practise and the amount. The tenth and Beyond is the Bible rule! The Old Testament emphasis is on the Tithe, the New Testament emphasis is on The Beyond. The Old Testament asks a tenth, the New Testament demands less but expects more. The one tenth tests our obedience, the nine tenths tests our consecration. The Old Testament principle is, "The tithe is the Lord's." The New Testament principle is, "He that forsaketh not all that he hath cannot be my disciple."
If the adoption of any principles of stewardship are to be adequate, every man must finally go the whole length as expressed in the words of Jesus just stated. The sooner this is done the better, but the full conception of stewardship breaks into life gradually with most men and a large majority begin by setting aside a small proportion of income. The adoption of a regulative principle, even though inadequate at first, is a powerful spiritual force in a man's life. When the practise of systematic and proportionate giving is begun, the first important step is taken which often leads to complete devotion to God.
There should be careful, intelligent, personal, and prayerful consideration of the uses to be made of the money thus regularly set aside. This will require study not only of the local situation, but also of the missionary and benevolent work of the Church. This principle provides for a thorough-going educational process and is indispensable if the Church is to improve her great opportunity. Individuals, churches, nations cannot come to the highest efficiency without recognizing and accepting their world responsibility.
Consistent use of the balance of the income not set aside. All the preceding principles are undermined if a man does not adopt this last principle as a safeguard. It pries down deep into men's lives and uncovers their secret motives. If men are to have an adequate program of stewardship, it must be adequate educationally, spiritually, and financially. It is believed that the six principles stated are adequate, in the sense just described, because:
1. These principles are taught in the Bible. They are a summary of the total message of the Scriptures on the subject and especially of the essence of the teachings of Jesus.
2. The testimony of history, both Scriptural and extra Biblical history, gives sanction to the principles stated and the amount set aside, always remembering that the New Testament emphasizes The Beyond.