Many of us have heard of putting money into a trust. Some of you reading this today have trusts of your own. I am no lawyer, but I think of a trust as a bucket into which you put things—money, stock, real estate, etc. Legally, the trust owns the assets. However, you can be in charge of telling the trust what to do, how and when to disburse and spend, as well as how and when to invest. You are the trustee because you are the one entrusted with the stewardship of the trust. A trust could be designed to benefit ourselves, our family, or others. There are even trusts set up to benefit churches, non-profits or any righteous cause.

It seems to me that trusts are a good analogy for our understanding life. God has put some things in our bucket and is now entrusting us to use the contents in wise and wonderful ways. My own bucket has a house and two cars and some investments and a retirement account. My bucket also has generally good health, a brain not yet falling apart (though some would disagree), a couple of abilities that have served me well, and a family to keep close and healthy. Now it is up to me to manage the bucket. I do not really own the bucket, but I get to choose what to do with it.

We call this stewardship. In the Bible, stewards were managers of something they did not own but had been entrusted. Jesus told stories about stewards, so we know the idea is important. As we grow in discipleship, we realize more and more that this life is both a trust from God and a great responsibility for ourselves. It can be a joyful responsibility, but make no mistake, we are responsible.

A good faith practice is to spend time in prayer and thought on a regular basis and ask two important questions. First, “God, what is in my bucket?” Second, “How can I steward it so that I am worthy of your trust?” Try that for a few months and see if your life isn’t different.

Finally, if you want to establish an earthly trust in order to benefit a church or charity, give us a call at the Foundation. We have several trusts that individuals have set up in order to bless others, and we specialize in helping you develop a trust that suits your passions and purposes.


If you would like information about stewardship and the care of money, contact us here or call us toll free at 877-391-8811.

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Glenn Howell
Director of Development
Heartland Methodist Foundation