We talk often about change—changing our politics, our economy, our institutions, even the world itself. Yet lasting change almost always begins closer to home. It begins with stewardship—putting the resources we already have to their highest uses.
Stewardship is an old word, one we tend to associate with church giving or financial responsibility. But it’s far deeper and broader than that. Stewardship means caring well for what has been entrusted to us—our bodies, our families, our communities, and yes, our finances. It’s the practice of aligning our daily choices with our highest values.
My personal struggle with stewardship has been longstanding. My oldest son was born when I was twenty one. I spent way too much time at the bar and not nearly enough time in the library. For years, my wife and I struggled with finances. There just never seemed to be enough money, even though we were on an upward trend. The economy was in the midst of the Great Recession. Every job I took seemed to ask everyone to “do more with less”. I was frustrated beyond measure.
And yet, the prevenient grace of the universe led me forward. I started reading more and implemented small changes. I took control of what I could. I started exercising. I opened a college savings account and put in $20 a month. I went back to church.
Little by little, those changes added up. A couch-to-5k plan led to a marathon. That small initial investment led to the development of a plan to fully fund my son’s college before he graduates. Going to that worship service led to a new career path.
At the start of a journey, we do not know all the turns we will take. But taking those first steps toward a disciplined and accountable life lead to the path your heart desires. Stewardship exists in numerous areas that create virtuous cycles if exercised over the long term.
Taking Care of Your Body
We cannot serve others or ourselves well if we neglect the vessel through which we serve. Our bodies are sacred trusts— instruments of creativity, compassion, and connection. Before our finances matter, our bodies need to be in good working order.
There is an affordability crisis in American healthcare. We are all looking for a solution. The reality is this: the only path to sustainable and affordable healthcare is for us as individuals to take ownership of our own health. No amount of corporate entrepreneurship, pharmacology, university research or governmental intervention can save us if we choose to eat junk food, spend unlimited hours on screen time, fail to move our bodies and mentally stress ourselves with our employment.
When we choose rest over relentless work, nourishment over convenience, movement over stagnation, we’re not just improving our health; we’re practicing gratitude for the gift of being alive. Physical stewardship grounds us in reality and gives us the energy to show up as the best version of ourselves.
Showing Up for Your Family
Our families—biological or chosen—are the first communities we are called to nurture. Stewardship here means being present, forgiving, and generous with both time and attention. Too many of us, myself included, devote the best of our mental and emotional resources to our work and do not leave enough in the tank for our household.
It’s easy to advocate for justice in the abstract while neglecting the small injustices we perpetuate in our homes: impatience, neglect, criticism, or unspoken resentment. How often have you spoken to your spouse, parents or children in a way you would never dream of speaking professionally? What would your life look like if you breathed grace into your household with every conversation? How would your relationships grow if you replaced complaints about small matters with gratitude for the people in your life?
Healthy societies are built on healthy families. The way we love and lead within our own circles becomes the template for how we engage the world.
The Beloved Community
Beyond our families lies the broader community—our neighborhoods, congregations, schools, and workplaces. It also means the digital communities we engage in.
Stewardship here calls us to ask: What am I doing to strengthen the fabric of belonging where I live? Do I support local businesses? Volunteer my skills? Listen before judging? Share positive online content?
Studies for years have been showing a decline in community membership. From the local church, to the Elks and American Legion, to your neighborhood bowling alley, we are spending more and more time alone and engaging far less with the people in our surrounding area. We have replaced this with impersonal digital interactions that seem to drive us further and further apart.
Last year, the Surgeon General issued a warning on the epidemic of loneliness in America. Ironically and unfortunately, if you feel alone, please know that you are not the only one who feels this way. I have also struggled with this as digital interactions seem to push us into silos where we feel unheard and misunderstood. You are not alone. People in your community are willing to respond when you engage with them in person.
Communities thrive not because a few people do big things, but because many people do small things faithfully. The simple act of shutting off the screen and joining a local group makes a major impact, not only for yourself, but for those around you. The small acts each of us make compound to create the communities we want to live in.
Stewardship of Finances
Money is not the goal of life, but it is a tool to pursue those goals—a reflection of our priorities and our trust. When we budget, save, give, and invest with purpose, we align our resources with our values.
Financial stewardship isn’t about scarcity; it’s about responsibility. It’s recognizing that money can serve as a multiplier of love, justice, and opportunity when used wisely.
The last forty years have seen ever declining real wages for the average American worker. And yet, our houses are 1,000 square feet larger than our grandparents. We have access to information and networks that were unimaginable a few decades ago. Although inflation and automation put pressure on us financially, we still have the ability to carve out a sustainable financial strategy.
Simple steps like creating and following a budget, saving and investing small amounts, and continuously pursuing higher incomes lead to financial stability, and better yet, flourishment.
In my network, many of us are beyond the realm of getting by. We are at the point where we need to declare we have enough. The perpetual pursuit of more has become a disease among the successful professional class. Once you have financial security, it’s time to think hard about how much you are giving back compared to an endless pursuit of financial growth.
The Gap Between Desire and Discipline
We live in an age of activism and awareness. Many people deeply desire systemic change—they want fairer economies, cleaner environments, healthier communities. Yet many of us are unwilling to make the personal changes that would make those systems possible.
We demand integrity from institutions while living distracted, overextended, and disconnected lives. We protest greed in corporations but rarely examine our own consumer habits. We lament polarization while refusing to have patient, humble conversations with our neighbors.
This gap between desire and discipline—between vision and stewardship—is where our collective potential stalls.
Stewardship as the Seed of Systemic Change
Every great movement for renewal begins with individuals who first transformed themselves. Before the world changes, people change—their hearts, habits, and priorities.
Imagine what might happen if more of us practiced stewardship in the full sense of the word:
- Caring for our health so we have strength to serve.
- Leading our families with compassion and example.
- Investing our time and money in ways that reflect justice and generosity.
- Engaging our communities with empathy instead of apathy.
That is how systems shift—from the inside out. Stewardship is not small work; it is foundational and life changing work.
A Well-Lived Life
The goal of stewardship isn’t perfection or control; it’s faithfulness. It’s showing up, again and again, with gratitude and intentionality.
When we tend to what has been entrusted to us—body, family, community, and resources—we live a life that ripples outward. We become, in our own quiet way, the very change we’ve been asking for.
“To whom much is given, much will be required.” – Luke 12:48
Stewardship reminds us that we’ve all been given something.
And the world is waiting to see what we’ll do with it.
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Travis Buell 