在2024年3月，美國一家航空航天公司未能通過美國聯邦航空總署（FAA）的安全審核。進行這次的審核是因為該公司所生產的飛機發生多起安全事故，其中包括一架飛機在飛行途中，因機身艙門板脫落，導致機艙壓力急劇下降，十分危險。該公司發言人承認，問題的根源在於公司給員工的操作指示晦澀難懂，且修改過於頻繁，導致員工無法忠實且嚴格地執行既定的安全程序。

使徒保羅告訴哥林多教會，他們應當視他和其他領袖為上帝忠實、認可的「基督的僕人」，他也表明自己是被「指派」作上帝的管家（哥林多前書4章1-2節，新普及譯本）。在保羅生活的時代，管家被指派負責管理並分配主人的資源。對於受指派承擔這些責任的人來說，有一個最重要的基本要求，那就是忠心。保羅稱自己是一名管家，「並且勞苦，親手做工」來履行他的責任（12節），謹慎地運用上帝賜予他的一切，尤其是他所領受的智慧和福音的奧秘（1-2節）。

耶穌已賜下我們一切所需，讓我們竭力做一個忠心的好管家，無論在屬靈操練、職場事奉和人際關係中，都忠實持守祂所認可且完美無誤的標準。

In March 2024, a US aerospace corporation failed a safety audit conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration. The audit came on the heels of multiple safety incidents, including a flight that had experienced a dangerous drop in cabin pressure when a door-plug panel on the jet had torn away. A spokesman for the company acknowledged that the failures were due to instructions for employees being difficult to understand and altered too often, resulting in them not faithfully adhering to approved procedures.

Paul told the church at Corinth that they should view him and other leaders as faithful and approved “servants of Christ” and declared that he’d been “entrusted” with being a steward for God (1 Corinthians 4:1-2). Stewards in Paul’s day were entrusted with overseeing the management and distribution of household resources. Above everything else, a fundamental requirement for those given these responsibilities was faithfulness. Paul labeled himself as a steward who “[worked] hard with [his] own hands” to live out his responsibilities (v. 12)—carefully using what God had given him, especially the wisdom He’d been given and the mysteries of the gospel (vv. 1-2).

As Jesus provides, let’s strive to be faithful stewards, adhering to His approved and flawless standard in our spiritual practices, work duties, and personal relationships.