THE MAKING OF A FAITHFUL STEWARD - Rev Jonathan Odega

<p>A steward, in the ancient world, was a person who was given the responsibility and authority to rule over the affairs of the household. For example, the Patriarch, Joseph, became a steward in Potiphar’s household; he managed everything in the household and was given the authority to rule over the house. (Genesis 39:1-69)</p> <p>A steward can be described as a person given the responsibility to manage resources – both human and material, and to account to a boss or a master. We can therefore infer that a steward is a servant, albeit a servant with authority and responsibility, reporting to a boss or a master.</p> <p>In modern language those who work in government establishments are referred to as civil servants. Thus, the president and state governors are referred to as public servants. </p> <p>In summary, therefore, we can rightly infer that in our context, a steward could be referred to as a servant, manager, administrator, or resource controller with the authority to manage and control resources to the satisfaction of the person or body of persons that elected or appointed him/her. In other words, there is a responsibility on the side of the steward to meet certain expectations. He/she is accountable and ought to present a good report card.</p>