Stewarding Decisions with the Holy Spirit’s Guidance By Howard Rich

What is driving the decisions you make?

Leaders make decisions every day. As a CFO, I make some routine decisions, like approving an invoice or reviewing a budget line. Others weigh much more because they affect staff, partners, and the communities our ministry serves. I’ll confess that my first instinct is often to reach for a spreadsheet, run the numbers, and trust my own experience. Recently, I have been reminded that, as a steward, I don’t have to make these decisions alone.

Your Wise Guide

Jesus prepared his disciples for the time when he would no longer be with them in person. In John 16:13, he promised, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” What a gift! The Owner of everything we manage has not left us to guess at his will. He has given us his Spirit to guide us.

Clarity About the Owner

Steward leaders understand that the resources, people, and organizations under their care belong to the Lord. If that is true, then the most important question we can ask is not “What do I think is best?” but “What does the Owner want?” The Holy Spirit answers that question. He speaks only what he hears from the Father, so his guidance always aligns with the Owner’s will.

Walk This Way

The prophet Isaiah gives us a beautiful picture of this guidance: “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it'” (Isaiah 30:21). I love the image of a voice behind us, guiding us. The Lord does not shout instructions from a distance. He walks close enough that we can hear him at a fork in the road.

Be Intentional

My challenge is that I do not always slow down enough to hear that voice. Deadlines, meetings, and emails can easily drown it out. Stewarding with the Holy Spirit’s guidance takes intentional time in prayer and Scripture, and a willingness to wait before acting.

Extend the Invitation

If you are anything like me, you have made decisions in your own strength and later wished you had paused to listen. My prayer for you and me is that we quiet our hearts, invite the Spirit into our planning, and follow his leading as we steward what the Lord has entrusted to us.

Howard Rich is the CFO of Amazi Water and the President of the Center for Steward Leader Studies. Howard is a lifelong advocate of generous living and desires to see Christians lead from a heart of stewardship and generosity.

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