When Stewardship Becomes Excess

We’ve all seen it – the churches that turn the corner from maintaining a nice building to becoming a cathedral. When does it happen? As a pastor, I struggle with this. Resources need to be used, but when does it become excessive? I know that part of being a good steward of the things of God is to make sure buildings look nice, that they are accessible, that they show a loving concern for neighbors and visitors. But when does it turn the corner and become excessive and extravagant?


Our church is in the final stages of a remodeling project, one that I am fully on board with. We needed to make it more accessible to those who have trouble walking or are in wheelchairs. The full body needs to be able to gather together. Also, there were parts of the building that needed updating and there's nothing wrong with doing it right. I am convinced that those involved have the right motives in place. But during the entire process, I felt a wariness - watching closely to make sure we didn't begin to use money and energy to build our kingdom.


It makes me think of my own life - we need to keep a close eye on our pursuit of personal kingdom building under the guise of the will of the Lord. It's an easy deception to fall into, because we can justify almost any expenditure as a necessity when in reality it may be a luxury.