To explain more about Retirement Stewardship, we need to start with the concept of stewardship in general. It is a fairly well-known word in many Christian circles but is not used daily. By definition, it means caring for something that has been entrusted to you by another. For the Christian, the ‘other’ would be none other than God himself.
The Bible’s underlying message is that being a good steward means responsibly using all that God has given to us in ways that bring Him honor and glory all the days of our lives.
This concept of stewardship is derived from a simple Biblical premise: God owns everything! Everything we see, have, and are—God created it all, and it all belongs to him.
While that includes our money and possessions, it also consists of the different gifts, talents, and skills we have been given; in other words, our unique personalities as created by God. Therefore, as you might expect, financial stewardship is a primary focus of this blog; however, it will also address these other areas.
Retirement stewardship begins much earlier in our lives than retirement itself. It starts with the choices we make as soon as we get our first paycheck and continues until our lives are over. It affects how we live our lives before retirement, plan for retirement, and live in retirement.
In fact, understanding and applying Biblical principles and practices of stewardship in retirement may change how we view that season of life altogether – in a very good way.