Leaders are simply stewards of the resources God has given them. Read Luke 19:11-26.

During His public ministry Jesus often told stories that illustrated a principles for life. In one of these stories Jesus told about a landowner who, just prior to leaving on an extended trip, gave three men some funds to spend, save, or invest. Each had the freedom to use the money as they saw fit but each would be asked for an account of how they handled the money when the landowner returned. The landowner’s expectation was that these men would be stewards of the money he had given them and, in Jesus’ story, those who had been faithful stewards of the funds were rewarded for their efforts and those who did not steward the funds would be held accountable.

Even a negative example can teach leaders positive lessons. Read Luke 16:1-16.

As Jesus spoke with the crowd described in Luke 15:1-2, He told a perplexing story in chapter 16:1-13 that appeared at first glance to encourage dishonesty. Jesus’ real message is that Christian leaders should mimic the steward’s shrewdness, not his dishonesty. This story of the unrighteous manager teaches leaders lessons about shrewdness in business and a few subtle truths about leadership:

Leaders function with integrity when they understand they are only stewards of what God owns. Read Malachi 3:6-17.

God established ways for His work to be completed in Israel by full-time priests and their helpers. These temple servants were to be compensated with food and money from the other tribes of Israel so they could live a somewhat normal family life. The law God gave to Moses made provision for these workers because the other tribes were required to tithe from the fruit of their labor.

Leadership is a form of stewardship. Read Amos 1:1-2:16.

Amos was God’s prophet to the Northern Kingdom of Israel for approximately 10 years from 760 B.C. to 750 B. C. Amos was a bit of an unlikely leader for the Northern kingdom. He was a shepherd and, according to 7:14-15, he supplemented his income by taking care of sycamore-fig trees, living in the Southern kingdom of Judah. Unlike some of the prophets, Amos brought no known credentials to his prophetic work other than his claim of a divine call of God.

Leaders are stewards of God’s resources including power and influence. Read Daniel 4:34-37.

God had used the king of Babylon and his armies to bring judgment on several nations including Judah. God gave the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar so much power and authority that he was known as the most powerful man in the world. When Nebuchadnezzar determined in his heart that he had generated his power from his own wisdom and strength, God humbled him with seven years of insanity where he lost all power and influence; he went from living in a palace that was one of the Seven Wonders of the World to being homeless and even ate grass with the animals. When Nebuchadnezzar humbled himself and acknowledged that God was the sovereign of the universe and his source of power and influence, God restored him to his position of authority.