Stewardship requires one predominant trait, that being faithfulness. People are gifted with many assorted skill sets requiring varying degrees of expertise. Yet, stewardship demands only a single element—faithfulness. The master of the house can teach his steward how to think ahead or how to deal with problems and even problem people, but the master cannot teach faithfulness. A wise master knows that his greatest need in a steward is faithfulness (Luke 12:42). In like manner, believers, as stewards of God, may be inadequately qualified for every needed task, but the importance of faithfulness must never be underestimated. No man can be a good steward if he lacks faithfulness.
Prayer serves as the greatest remedy for worry and fears. In Philippians 4:6, God’s word tells us to “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” This truth is reaffirmed in 1 Peter 5:7 where the Bible says, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” A man can expend time and strength caring for the things of this world including the necessities of life, or he can make a conscious decision to obediently cast those same cares upon the Lord. This allows the Lord to show Himself strong toward the individual by caring for His child. According to Philippians 4:7, by choosing to pray, the cares and worries of man are replaced with “the peace of God.” The Bible describes this peace as one that keeps the believer’s heart and mind through Christ Jesus and even passes one’s ability to comprehend its depths and riches.
Believers are commanded to “Be careful for nothing.” Contextually, the word careful means to be care full or full of cares. That being said, this is one of the most disobeyed commands in all of scripture. In Matthew 6:25, the Lord warned His disciples against dwelling upon or worrying about what they would eat, or drink, or how they would be clothed. The Lord’s rebuke implies that not even the necessities of life should serve as a source of worry for God’s people. It is important to note that worry and faith are at opposite ends of the spectrum because they do not and cannot coexist within the believer’s life and walk. A believer who is “careful” for things cannot and will not simultaneously trust God’s faithful provision. When a believer worries rather than trusting in God’s provision and protection, the believer’s actions deem God incapable to accomplish the matter without the individual contributing his “carefulness.”
