Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Paul redefines what leadership means. Not the authority figure. Not the impressive speaker. The steward. Someone entrusted with something not his own. Someone who tends what's been given to him. Someone who will answer to the owner.
I'm stepping into a role as a minister, and this verse has haunted me. I was trained to think of myself as an authority, someone with answers. But Paul says I'm a steward of mysteries. I don't own the truth. I'm tending it. I don't control the outcomes. I'm responsible for handling them well. The mysteries of God aren't mine to exploit. They're mine to faithfully deliver.
What's radically freed me is realizing I don't have to have all the answers. I just have to be faithful with what's been entrusted. If someone asks me something I don't know, I can say so. I'm a steward, not an owner. I tend the mysteries, I don't create them. That posture has made me a better minister. Less defensive. More honest. More focused on faithfulness than on looking capable.
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