Too often we view stewardship through an “all or nothing” lens: I’m either a good steward, or I’m not.
The reality is that our generosity takes place in a myriad of moments. We have endless opportunities to practice stewardship—whether to improve or regress. It’s important, then, to approach stewardship with a posture of balance.
We might be inclined to see balance as undesirable or even sinful. In the book of Revelation, we read about the sin of the church of Laodicea: They were neither hot nor cold but “lukewarm” in their faith (Revelation 3:15–16). This passage presents a valuable and necessary reminder that the Lord desires our whole hearts. But the reality is that there’s biblical nuance about balance beyond this rebuke to the Laodicean church.
In Ecclesiastes 7, the Teacher offers a challenging word to those of us who follow the Lord. We read,
“Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise—why destroy yourself? Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool—why die before your time? It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes” (Ecclesiastes 7:16–18 NIV)
The Teacher’s warning against being overwicked or a fool makes perfect sense; these are destructive tendencies that should be avoided. But it’s difficult to fathom that there are situations where we could be too righteous or too wise. How could admirable traits become negative?
When we pursue piety to the extreme, we tend to place our faith in ourselves and our ability to do or be enough rather than trusting in the Lord. We can develop pride in our righteousness or wisdom, eroding our trust in God. In this way, the extreme end of a good thing becomes a stumbling block in our faith.
In stewardship, extremism is found in both excess and frugality. When we view our finances primarily as a means to fulfill our desires, our personal happiness becomes a roadblock to generosity. Conversely, when we manage our finances so closely that we’re unwilling to spend anything, our focus on securing our future too often keeps us from meeting others’ needs. The challenge is to be self-aware, understand our tendencies, and aim for balance.
Dwelling in the tension between extremes can be awkward, and we will get it wrong sometimes. But we are called to pursue a life of trusting in the Lord and practicing generosity rather than idolizing our own pleasure or perceived financial security. We are called to embrace balance rather than extremes.
