Chapter 34. Tenth Commandment: Embrace Poverty of Spirit • 451
Disciples as Stewards
Let us begin with being a disciple—a follower of our Lord Jesus
Christ. As members of the Church, Jesus calls us to be disciples.
This has astonishing implications:
• Mature disciples make a conscious decision to follow Jesus,
no matter what the cost.
• Christian disciples experience conversion—life-shaping
changes of mind and heart—and commit themselves to
the Lord.
• Christian stewards respond in a particular way to the call to
be a disciple. Stewardship has the power to shape and mold
our understanding of our lives and the way in which we
live. Jesus’ disciples, as Christian stewards, recognize God
as the origin of life, the giver of freedom, and the source of
all things. We are grateful for the gifts we have received and
are eager to use them to show our love for God and for one
another. We look to the life and teaching of Jesus for guid-
ance in living as Christian stewards.
Stewards of Creation
The Bible contains a profound message about the stewardship
of material creation: God created the world, but entrusts it
to human beings. Caring for and cultivating the world involves
the following:
• Joyful appreciation for the God-given beauty and wonder of
nature;
• Protection and preservation of the environment, which is
the stewardship of ecological concern;
• Respect for human life—shielding life from threat and
assault and doing everything that can be done to enhance
this gift and make life flourish;
• Development of this world through noble human effort—
physical labor, the trades and professions, the arts and sci-
ences. We call such effort “work.”
Work is a fulfilling human vocation. The Second Vatican
Council points out that, through work, we build up not only our