Some Christians actively avoid church on Stewardship Sunday because giving is a private matter “between me and God.” New pastors are even sometimes advised never to preach about money, lest certain people get riled up. Yet Jesus talks frequently in the Gospels about giving and sharing our material goods — and he wasn’t the first in Scripture to do so.
A thousand years before Christ’s birth, King David prepared to hand over the kingdom to his son, gathering tons (literally!) of gold, silver, and other materials for Solomon to use in building the temple. Revealing his take on stewardship, David prayed:
“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand” (1 Chronicles 29:14, NIV).