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Stewardship in the early stages of life is pretty simple – the decisions are simple, the options are limited, and the outcomes are fairly straightforward. That doesn’t mean it’s always easy – but it is far less complex than it becomes as we move through life.
The early career stage provides the best opportunity to establish life-long stewardship principles and practices. Things like being a diligent earner who adds value to the team and the company rather than just punching a clock. Things like beginning a long-term saving plan and aggressively eliminating consumer debt.
Next up come some key life decisions involving many factors – not all of them financial. Marriage requires us to learn to become one with another person financially as well as in other areas. Starting a family leads to decisions about schooling, one career vs. two, buying a house, and others.
Raising that family provides opportunities to disciple our children in stewardship by inviting them appropriately into key financial discussions and helping them to understand the nature and importance of trade-offs. One of these key trade-offs is the prioritization of saving for children’s college vs. saving for retirement.
Stewardship doesn’t stop in retirement. This time of life provides even wider opportunities for whole-life stewardship and for discipling others.
Podcast host James Lenhoff continues our discussion of stewardship through the stages of life as he examines these stages and highlights key decisions, disciplines, and opportunities. If you missed part one of this discussion, find it here: Stewardship Through the Stages of Life, pt. 1.