What lessons on stewardship can we learn from Jacob's care for Laban's flocks? The text in view “ These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten the rams of your flock.” – Genesis 31:38 Faithful work over the long haul • Twenty unbroken years of service tell a story of consistency. • Luke 16:10–12 reminds us that faithfulness in “very little” proves readiness for greater trust. • We steward well when we refuse the shortcut mentality and embrace steady, day-in, day-out reliability. Protective care for what belongs to another • Jacob kept Laban’s animals healthy; none miscarried. • Proverbs 27:23 calls us to “be sure you know the condition of your flocks.” • Good stewardship includes guarding others’ resources as diligently as our own. Integrity with resources • “I have not eaten the rams of your flock.” Jacob never treated company property as personal perk. • Colossians 3:23–24 urges labor that answers to the Lord, not just an earthly boss. • Integrity means refusing hidden self-indulgence when handling what God places under our watch. Bearing personal cost rather than passing off loss • Verse 39 (context) shows Jacob making good any losses himself. • 1 Corinthians 4:2: “Now it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.” • Real stewardship shoulders responsibility instead of shifting blame. Endurance under hardship • Further in Genesis 31 Jacob recalls heat, frost, sleepless nights. • James 1:12 blesses the one who perseveres under trial. • Endurance refines character, proving that stewardship is not merely task performance but heart devotion. Confidence in God’s oversight • Jacob credits God for protecting him from exploitation (Genesis 31:42). • Psalm 75:7 affirms that God is the Judge who “brings one down, exalts another.” • When stewardship feels unrewarded, we rest in the Lord who sees and vindicates. Putting Jacob’s example into practice today – Set measurable patterns of diligence: show up, follow through, finish well. – Manage workplace or ministry resources as sacred trusts. – Keep transparent records; avoid even small misuses. – Absorb reasonable costs rather than damage another’s assets or reputation. – Persevere when assignments are tiring, trusting God to honor faithfulness in His time. |
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