Love is the foundation for living the life of a Christian steward

By Shannon Roh
For The Catholic Week
Love never fails.
Naturally, love is the foundation for living the life of a Christian steward. After all, stewardship is responding to God’s call to give with a loving heart. Everything we have, such as our intellectual gifts, financial resources, time and talents are all generous gifts from our loving God. We are called to share them with love.
Everything that God does, He does out of love. God displayed his perfect and unconditional love for us through the gift of His only Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus laid the groundwork of how to live the life of a Christian steward. Scripture tells us to follow His examples. “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 14: 34-35). 
St. Paul shared this message of love. While St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians is commonly read at weddings, he is referring to love in a much broader sense. His message to the Corinthians clearly states that we are to do all things out of love. While it is easy to relate this scripture to a couple in love, we are called to relate this verse to every relationship in our everyday lives. 
“Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, (love) is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5).
Jesus was clearly passionate about love, so much so that he declared love the greatest of all commandments. St. Matthew recounts Jesus’ response when asked by a scribe what is the greatest commandment: “He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). The call or command to love is not about a feeling or emotion, it is about the decision to love and obey God. The same love that God has for us can be seen every day when a Christian steward responds to God’s call to imitate Christ in his love for others. 
It’s simple, God is love; therefore, showing love is stewardship in action. 
“So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).
 — Shannon Roh is the Executive Director of the Office of Development and Stewardship for the Archdiocese of Mobile.