Times Of Swaziland: STEWARDSHIP IN MARRIAGE

STEWARDSHIP IN MARRIAGE
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By Rev J.V Mazibuko on 26/03/2019 00:10:00


LAST week we talked about respect as a pillar in marriage; today I want to
unpack the importance of stewardship in marriage. Many couples, when getting
married, make promises to each other and some even go to the extent of penning
poems for each other.
There is nothing amiss about that and in-fact couples should be encouraged to
express their feelings and commitment to the marriage. However, what remains key
is the fulfillment of these promises and vows. Often, we make these promises
under extremely happy emotions and then get into the temptation of neglecting or
not honouring them when those happy emotions disappear. Over and above the vows
we make to each other, marriage has responsibilities, obligations and duties.
There are responsibilities for the husband and the wife alike. Each must fulfill
his/her responsibilities independent of the other, and herewith lays the
challenge. The husband and the wife ought to think themselves as stewards if
they are to faithfully honour their responsibilities, obligations and duties in
marriage. For the purposes of this article, I will define stewardship as the
careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.
Marriage is God-designed, but He has entrusted man to manage it.
Stewardship has five main threads that are worth mentioning to enhance our
comprehension. Firstly, there is the element of love; unless you love or develop
love for that which you are a steward of, you will be unable to be a good
steward. In the context of husband and wife, there ought to be love that will
lubricate the execution of the responsibilities, obligations and duties of
marriage.
Secondly, stewardship speaks to sacrifice; this aspect is often neglected by
married couples, yet it can be the thread that reveals true love. Sacrifice is
the quality of denying one’s interest for the benefit of the other. Couples
that are in the habit of sacrificing often find themselves much happier and tend
to be good managers of marriage, because they can refocus to the bigger purpose
of marriage amid tough times.
Sacrifice is not easy and certainly not enjoyable, but it is done for the
superior benefit. Good stewards are not afraid to sacrifice. The third element
is possession; unless you take control and appropriation of that which has been
placed in your care, stewardship will not be complete. Husbands and wives need
to take possession of the gift of marriage and know that they have been
entrusted.
Very close to possession is ownership, which is the fourth element of
stewardship. Ownership governs stewardship, knowing the ultimate ownership of
marriage should lift up the duty-burden from the husband and wife, because He
who designed marriage and entrusted it to mankind has also empowered men to
manage marriage. Stewards who know they are stewards and who also know the owner
of that which they have been entrusted with to manage and care for, are in for
an enjoyable life in marriage.
It is normally easier to be a good steward if you respect the owner of the thing
you are a steward of; husbands and wives who do not respect God often fall short
in this area. Lastly, stewardship speaks to your relationship with God the
creator of marriage, and with your spouse. Healthy relationships with human
beings are dependent on the health of the relationship we have with God.
Husbands and wives ought to prioritize and work out their relationship with God
to enjoy this element of stewardship.
I would like to briefly highlight a few areas where we exercise our stewardship
as husbands and wives. Stewardship of self, see yourselves as a unit that is
prepared to keep in step with the dictates of the word of God and always lead a
God shaped lifestyle, ready to be of service to His kingdom. Let your marriage
be a tool in the hand of the Lord.
Another area is stewardship of talent - God has given you both unique talents
and you must always determine to do all you can to collectively apply those
talents for the edification of each other and others benefitting from your
marriage. You would have done well if you fan and not kill each other’s
talents. Stewardship of wealth, the husband and the wife must realise that the
treasure that God has placed into their hands is not meant to be a source of
division, instead a doorway of opportunities to serve others.
Careful use of finances will build the marriage, unfortunately the opposite is
true; carelessness in finances will tear down the marriage. It is good to have
money and even more admirable to use money in a godly fashion. Another area is
stewardship of time, we all have the equal amount of time; however, the
difference is in how we use it.
The husband and wife are to be good stewards of time, you must be determined to
spend more time together from day one of your marriage. Devote time to serve
each other, your family, your community and your church. Unfortunately, far too
many married couples are unable to effectively use this commodity which can
neither be saved nor stored.
The busy lifestyles we lead only aggravate the misuse of time, and as I have
already alluded, stewardship calls for sacrifice and couples who are not willing
to sacrifice will perpetually find themselves having no time together.
God has entrusted us with the responsibility to manage marriage and He has given
us all the abilities, talents and wisdom to be good stewards of this
institution. God Bless you! Please send comments to adminsec@mbac.co.sz