September 25, 2011
Translated by Lydia Ma

In 1 Peter 4:10-11, Peter instructs Christians that they are all good stewards. He said, "each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." This familiar passage reminds us to be faithful and savvy servants of God by managing and caring for God's creation.

A look at how Taiwan has responded to this call through national events that occurred throughout this year shows us that we have fallen far short. All 4 nuclear reactors in Taiwan have had problems, malfunctions, and accidents this year. The problems reported about each site are predilections for us all and a good reason for PCT to campaign against creating nuclear wastes storage facilities at the expense of the environment.

Besides the environment, we must also look within churches – especially church organizations – and check how their leaders are doing as stewards. In this season of installations, they need to be reminded of the importance of guarding what God has entrusted to their care.

But when all is said and done, what it means to be a good steward and how to become one are topics that have yet to garner unanimity. In real life, church politics, petty rivalry and the like have raised their ugly heads often and become a source of gossip for mainstream society.

We must remember that, at the end of the day, stewards come in all shapes and sizes, temperaments and callings. Under such circumstances, to disagree is common. However, only by learning to pursue God's will and serving one another, will we honor God in all that we do.

A look at what it means to be a steward from a personal level, we could say that a good steward isn't someone who locks himself up within church walls. The world outside the church, including nature, social infrastructures, political affairs, environmental protection, and all other activities some people call "worldly" are all God's creation entrusted to our care. The crux of the matter is that if we don't get involved and raise our voices in these matters so that God's will can be shown, we would be failing in our calling as God's stewards.

It's with this in mind that we return to PCT's confession of faith, which includes the following statement: "We believe that God has given human beings dignity, talents and a homeland, so that they may share in God's creation, and have responsibility with Him for taking care of the world. Therefore, they have social, political and economic systems, arts and sciences, and a spirit which seeks after the true God." This statement clearly indicates our identity as stewards of God called to testify to the world and bring glory to God.

Taiwan Church News