The 100% Rule

“It is required in stewards that one be found faithful.”

(1 Corinthians 4:2)

Many people are confused about what it means to be a good steward. When we hear the word, “stewardship,” we tend to think about fundraising campaigns and those little “thermometer” drawings that show us where the church is in terms of funding the annual budget. Unfortunately, this is not what Paul was referring to in his letter to the Corinthians.

Stewardship actually has to do with responsibility. A steward is someone who manages someone else’s money and/or possessions. Since God is the “owner” of everything on this earth, (The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. Psalms 24:1) we are all managers, or “stewards” of the things He has entrusted to us.

It’s easy to test whether or not you have a proper perspective in this area. How do you acknowledge a request for money? Do you think, “that’s not what I want to do with MY money” or do you ASK, “Lord, what do YOU want me to do with YOUR money?” It’s all a matter of attitude. If we have the attitude that everything we have belongs to God, and we are just his managers, then we begin to have a heart that desires to handle those things in the ways in which He desires. In essence, every spending (or giving) decision becomes a spiritual decision.

Good managers know how their bosses want them to manage, so if we’re going to be found a “faithful” steward, we need to know what God requires of us in His word. It is our “manual” so to speak!

Sadly, most Christians have received very little teaching on stewardship, yet 2350 verses deal with the subject, as well as 2/3 of Jesus” parables. God must have known this was going to be a tough thing for us to “get!”

As someone who teaches about biblical financial principles, the most common questions I get asked, have to do with tithing. Everyone wants to know the “ins and outs” of that 10% we see referred to in the scripture.

Certainly, tithing is a part of how we handle our finances, but it misses the mark when we talk about being a “faithful steward.” God doesn’t want us just to handle 10% of what He’s given us His way, He want s us to handle 100% of it His way.

Imagine the blessing that would come from submitting to the Lord 100% in regard to finances, in the same way we think of submitting and surrendering 100% of our hearts when we become saved!

We need to remember 100% of what we have is HIS, 100% of the time.

It’s the 100% rule. If you get it, it’s a game changer!