And as I sat down to prepare a reflection on Godly stewardship as part of the team at Baptist World Aid—a team who work daily among the most vulnerable—I couldn’t help but be struck by the irony. Talking about my luxury holiday at the start of a reflection on stewardship feels… well, tone deaf. 

But maybe it’s not just me. 

Maybe we’re all a little tone deaf. 

Christmas Wrapped In Culture 

Christmas is about the birth of Christ; I don’t ever want to minimise that. But if I am honest, I must admit that I celebrate Christmas within a culture that is often fed by a steady diet of capitalism, consumerism, and self-interest. 

That’s why Christmas, for many of us, comes wrapped in layers of indulgence, excess, wastefulness, and over-consumption. Chances are, most of us will participate in those cultural trimmings this year—whether we admit it or not. 

The Reality Check 

A few weeks ago, UBS released its annual Global Wealth Report. Here’s what it revealed: 

  • Australia ranks second in the world for median wealth (the USA sits at 15th). 
  • Australia has more millionaires per capita than any other nation. 
  • 1 in 14 Australians has a net worth over $1 million USD. 

The truth is the ‘Western Church’ is the wealthiest in history. Followers of Jesus in the global north have more access to resources than any generation before us. 

Now, I get it—life feels expensive. Mortgages, children, bills. Most of us don’t feel particularly rich. But when Scripture talks about ‘the rich,’ could it be talking about us? 

Could it be that we’re tone deaf to where we sit in the Kingdom of God when it comes to resources? 

The Parable That Rings In My Ears 

Jesus tells a story in Matthew 25—the Parable of the Talents. A master goes away and entrusts his servants with his property: 

One gets five talents. 
Another gets two. 
The last gets one. 

The first two invest and double what they’ve been given. The third buries his talent in the ground. When the master returns, he celebrates the first two, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’ But the one who hid his talent? He’s called wicked and lazy. 

Here’s the point: everything begins with God’s ownership. Everything. Our time, our abilities, our money—they’re entrusted to us, not owned by us. And what we do with what God has given us matters. He expects us to invest it wisely for His Kingdom, not ours. 

Our Blind Spot 

I believe Christians in countries like Australia can have a blind spot. Our wealth—our access to resources—might be the biggest discipleship challenge we face. It’s not a sin to be wealthy. But it is a sin to hoard this wealth for ourselves. 

Unless we’re intentional and prayerful about how we handle what God has placed in our hands, culture will lead us to the default of building our own kingdoms. And that’s not what we’re called to. 

It’s as if Jesus is asking: 

Do you understand what I’ve placed in your hands—and what it’s for?

This Christmas 

As we head into a season overflowing with excess, noise, and distraction, may we tune our hearts to the sound of grace. Remember: everything we have is entrusted, not owned. We’re building God’s kingdom, not our own. 

And may we steward our resources, our work, our influence, our lives—in a way that’s in tune with the heart of God, and his heart for communities in need across our world.