What does stewardship mean in a religious sense?

• A. Hoarding wealth and material possessions for personal gain.
• B. Responsibly using God-given resources—time, talents, money, and the environment—for God's purposes.
• C. Ignoring the environment while using other resources.
• D. Spending only on personal needs.

Answer: (B)

Stewardship in a religious sense means recognizing that God entrusts us with resources—our time, our talents, our money, and the world around us—and we have a responsibility to use them in ways that reflect God's purposes. This isn’t about owning everything for personal gain, but about managing what we have so it can bless others and honor God. Caring for creation, dedicating our abilities to serve others, and budgeting our money to support family, church, and charitable works are all parts of stewardship. It also means making choices that protect the environment and consider future generations. In short, stewardship is using what God gives us wisely, generously, and for the good of others, rather than hoarding or wasting it. The other options miss this shared responsibility: hoarding wealth is the opposite of using resources for God's purposes; ignoring the environment fails to honor God's creation; spending only on personal needs ignores the call to serve and care for others.