We must develop a sense of community, a readiness to acknowledge both our dependence on others and our commitment to others. Stewardship development in the congregation seeks to integrate three very important foundations. Experience shows that results happen when we acknowledge we are gifted, we are stewards, and we are accountable. The message of the book of Genesis is that we have been created in God's image, and that we have been given responsibility to take care of and to enjoy God's creation. We live under the Biblical premise that everything we have, even life itself which is lived in relationship with others, is a gift of God.
Nothing is ultimately our own.
God is the giver of everything. When the Israelites were fleeing the Egyptians and problems compounded, God worked through Moses to give his people the Ten Commandments. A person living by these commands would surely be a good steward. The Commandments were the foundation under which people lived in relationship with their God and with each other for centuries. Loving God above all else and our neighbor as ourselves would make us all good stewards of God's gifts.