Snow Shampoo and a Priceless Pearl

My paternal grandparents began their together-life during the Great Depression, building their home with their own hands and scrimping to save for glass windows. By the time I was born, they had moved from their farm into town, where they maintained a thriving vegetable garden in their comparatively tiny backyard, enjoying the fruit of their labor at most meals. 

Do you know anyone who diligently collects buckets of fresh snow and brings them indoors to melt so they can use the water to clean their floors and wash their hair? I do—my grandma. I’m convinced that if our economy sufficiently rewarded resourcefulness, my grandparents would’ve been royalty.

Their home’s interior was always spotless. Grandma protected the dining table and lace tablecloth with a clear plastic cover, and the armrests on their chairs and couches were equally guarded with extra layers. 

When my husband and I got married and needed a new car, Grandpa proudly offered us his 20-year-old silver Oldsmobile, pristine and purring like a kitten. The red velvet upholstery shone like new. Indeed, “our Olds” had been carefully preserved. 

For people born at a later time, the energy and attention my grandparents gave to caring for their material possessions may seem extreme, bordering on obsessive. But their lifestyle is understandable in the context of their surviving the Great Depression and World War II. They learned through incredible difficulty that nothing is guaranteed. To Grandpa and Grandma, everything they owned was a gift worth treasuring. 

I’m reminded of Paul’s words to the church in Corinth, “What do you have that you did not receive” ( 1 Corinthians 4:7)? His question is part of a series of questions that highlight the Corinthians’ pride. They seemed to have it all, but Paul reminded them that everything they had came from God.

In this letter, Paul presents himself and his co-laborers as stewards of God’s gifts. A steward was the manager of a household; he didn’t own the house, but he worked hard to ensure it functioned properly and served the master well. “It is required of stewards that they be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2). 

Jesus also addressed the principle of stewardship in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14–30). A master entrusts three of his servants with talents (money) before he leaves on a long journey. Upon his return, he commends and rewards the two servants who put their talents to good use, doubling what they had been given for their master’s benefit—“Well done, good and faithful servant.” But he harshly rebukes the servant who buried his talent, calling him “wicked,” “slothful,” and “worthless”. 

Like Paul and the servants in Jesus’s story, we’ve been entrusted with “talents” by our Master and commissioned to put them to use for his glory. Everything we have—our time, talent, and treasure—comes from God. 

I’ve meditated on the principle of stewardship a lot over the past year, and it has transformed my life. When I consider everything I have as belonging to God yet entrusted to me by him to steward for his glory, I treat it differently, use it differently, spend it differently. 

My time—this day, this moment, this season—is a gift of God’s grace and mercy. What will I do with it? How will I manage it for his glory? Faithful stewardship doesn’t require that I be productive every second of each 24-hour period. God commanded rest, too, and he’s pleased when we take some time to celebrate and delight in his good gifts. But as I’ve sought to become a better steward, I’ve spent my leisure time with more intentionality.  

My body, though weak and broken, is entrusted to me for God’s glory. Therefore, I want to care for it so I have the strength and energy to serve him and others for as long as possible. This perspective gets me out of my chair when I’ve been sitting too long, motivates me to go to the gym to strengthen my muscles, and prompts me to prioritize adequate rest instead of succumbing to my obsession with work. 

The money in our bank account is God’s. Our home is God’s. The food in our fridge, the clothes in our closets, the car in our garage—all are God’s blessing to our family. How might I enjoy and manage these gifts in a way that honors him? He has given us the freedom to decide how to steward it all, and I want to steward it faithfully. 

All these things—our bodies and belongings—are useful only as long as they last or as long as we live on this earth. While practicing faithful stewardship in these areas is good and right, we must broaden our focus beyond the temporal to the eternal (Colossians 3:2; 2 Corinthians 4:18b). 

The most precious gift we have to steward is the gospel of Jesus Christ—the “priceless pearl” (Matthew 13:45–46). Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we’ve been rescued from sin and death, reconciled to God, and given the hope of eternal, abundant life. Nothing compares to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ and living life in fellowship with him (Philippians 3:8–9).

Faithful stewardship of the good news of Jesus Christ isn’t just for pastors or missionaries—it’s for all who’ve been redeemed. We’ve been entrusted with this life-giving message not to keep it to ourselves but to share it, live it, and let it shape who we are.

Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you (2 Timothy 1:13–14).

How might you grow in the stewardship of your time, body, and belongings this week? Has God entrusted you with talents you’ve kept buried? What might it look like for you to steward the gospel well this week or in this season of your life? ¹ 

For Further Reflection

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matthew 28:19–20).

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Romans 1:16).

…but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect… (1 Peter 3:15)

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16).

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:34–35).

1. If you find effective evangelism difficult—as I do—these 3 common misconceptions will encourage you in your desire to witness for Christ. ↩︎