We are all managers of the gifts God has given us, whether those gifts feel impressive or completely unseen. In this Christian reflection on Luke 16, I explore what faithful stewardship really looks like—not just with money, but with our talents, callings, and everyday responsibilities. From wasted gifts to quiet obedience, this story is a reminder that faithfulness matters, even in ordinary seasons of life.

---

When I was in college, I had a roommate who was incredibly gifted vocally. She had a beautiful voice—one I often envied because, as much as I love to sing, let’s just say I’m grateful the Lord says “make a joyful noise,” not a beautiful one. Singing is enjoyable for me, but it is not a gift I possess.

My roommate, however, did possess that gift. Yet she routinely chose to smoke cigarettes. Anyone with even a basic understanding of music or health knows that smoking is one of the worst things a singer can do. It damages vocal cords, limits lung capacity, and reduces stamina and range. Watching her abuse a gift I longed for used to frustrate me deeply. Here I was, wishing I could carry a tune in a bucket, while she treated a God-given talent carelessly.

I wholeheartedly believe that everyone is given gifts and talents. What we choose to do with them—how we steward them—is ultimately up to us. I have a cousin who had an uncanny, truly unbelievable gift for drawing. It went unused, wasted. Instead of cultivating what he’d been given, he squandered his life with drugs and alcohol. Another gift left untouched.

What the Bible Says About Stewardship Beyond Money

This season, I’ve been reading through the book of Luke. My intention was to finish the entire book by the end of December, but life happened and I fell behind. When I reached chapter 16 and read The Parable of the Dishonest Manager, I was shaken by Jesus’ words:

“There was a rich man who received an accusation that his manager was squandering his possessions. So he called the manager in and asked, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account for your management…’”
—Luke 16:1–2

Give an account for your management.

Managing the Gifts God Has Given Us

While the parable goes on to address honesty in financial dealings, I couldn’t help but think beyond money—about how we manage our talents, our abilities, and our callings. We are all managers of what God has entrusted to us.

Whether we work in healthcare, sit behind a desk from nine to five, stand before a classroom, or spend our days caring for a home and family, we are responsible for stewarding where God has placed us.

Verses 10–13 remind us that if we are not faithful in small things, how can we be entrusted with greater ones? This passage is often applied solely to financial gain, but Scripture consistently teaches that faithfulness is not about prominence or platform.

Faithfulness in the Ordinary and Unseen Work

Like the widow with two copper coins in Mark 12:41–44, faithfulness is measured not by how much we have, but by how we give what we have. Though her offering was small in the eyes of the world, Jesus highlighted it because it cost her everything.

We do not need visibility, recognition, or influence to be expected to live faithfully. Faithfulness is required wherever God has placed us—especially in the places that feel ordinary or unseen.

A Lesson From Luke 16 for Everyday Life

As a stay-at-home and work-from-home mom for most of the last eighteen years, I have often wrestled with frustration—the quiet ache of feeling unseen. Wash the clothes. Do the dishes. Clean the floors. Put away the toys. The monotony can feel insignificant when compared to thriving careers, successful businesses, and the financial stability that comes with higher-paying jobs.

Those things often appear far more glorious than the daily work of raising children and managing a home.

Yet this parable reminds me that the stewardship of my home—the opportunity to raise my children, to watch them grow under my care, and to minister within my own walls—is just as worthy of accountability as any career or financially prosperous livelihood ever could be.

Faithfulness isn’t proven by how big the gift is, but by how well we steward what God has already placed in our hands.