Another buzz word these days; stewardship as per Merriam-Webster dictionary refers to: "the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care."

In the context of today's society, this term is often used by environmentalist in reference to reducing waste, cutting emissions and reducing pollution; however this term can and should be applied to all areas of life to get the most out of what we have been entrusted with. This concept of stewardship is helpful in framing the management of time, relationships, personal finances, health, fitness, talent, children, businesses and so on. Any commodity that one has possession of or responsibility over is subject to that person's stewardship; whether they choose to actively participate in this or not. The outcome, whether failing or flourishing is a reflection on the stewardship provided.

When talking about personal stewardship, there is stewardship within individual categories, and then - taking a step further back - there is stewardship over all the categories as a whole (a stewardship of stewardships!). When I consider how I am stewarding different areas of my life, I will often think back to my school days - my allocation of my time in study was pretty good (at least in the later years after learning to prioritise), and I spent plenty of time exercising (again, sorry to our old neighbours who would have heard the basketball pounding for hours on our driveway!). I do however recall having this nagging feeling (usually precipitated by my mother... Thanks Mum!) that I was not spending the time I should practicing music. When I come to this part of my life now, I certainly don't have the development of skills that I could have had if I had given this area a little more weight in my prioritisation.

Another category of stewardship that I personally am poor at maintaining is friendships. I have had many great people sharing my journey through the multiple years of schooling, working, sports etc. whom I have been terrible at keeping up with as years have progressed and new paths have been taken. Obviously it would be impossible to stay friends with every person that we meet, but one or two from each season, particularly those who shared some significant experiences with us is a rewarding endeavour. In my own life - for different reasons - this has often not been a priority or an impracticality (like moving around for medical school, training and military service). When I compare my friendships now to those of others around me (my brother-in-law is an especially stark contrast) I have a much smaller group of long term friends and people I would share life with. While there are some small benefits to this (maintaining a large circle of friends requires plenty of time and energy) the drawbacks can be hard to ignore, particularly in times of celebration or heartache.

Stewardship thus truly encompasses all areas of life and requires prioritisation. To do this well and achieve the greatest outcome for the potential that has been bestowed, we have the responsibility to focus our time and efforts accordingly. With so many different areas to focus on, not all will be as developed as others and will be guided by talents, interests etc. This will also involve times of stepping back to take oversight and plan (see perspective), leaning in and putting in hours of work, and taking time out to rest (which would be stewarding our health well).

Be careful to steward wisely...

"Be sure to know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds; for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations." Prov 27 v 23 - 24