Human beings were created and redeemed to be stewards. Bearing the image of God (Gen. 1:26–28), the steward was created to reflect the Creator within creation. In a way, stewards are simply mirrors. Mirrors cannot do anything to the image that is placed in front of them. 

A mirror was the first item in creation that embodied the computer term GIGO. “Garbage in, Garbage out.” In a computer, if you enter good data, you get a good result. You enter bad data; you will get a garbage result. 

In photography, you can run an image through a filter, which can remove imperfections. Myriad apps allow for the option to cut people out, add people in and change backgrounds all in an attempt to make the perfect image. Mirrors cannot do that. They do not provide anything new. Mirrors are created to reflect, not process, an image. They simply reflect the person standing in front of them.
 

Stewards are like this. Created to reflect, a steward will reflect the God in front of them. The steward will either reflect a godly stewardship that holds that God is the owner of all things (Ps. 24:1) and is the One to whom they are accountable, or they will reflect the god of self and see the created order as something to be possessed, used, and in far too many cases, abused. It is not a question of IF the steward reflects, it is really a question of WHO is being reflected. 

For this reason, the Lutheran Service Book has included a necessary hymn worthy of meditation: “Forgive Us, Lord, for Shallow Thankfulness” (LSB 788). Its first verse reads:
 

 Forgive us, Lord, for shallow thankfulness,
 For dull content with warmth and sheltered care,
 For songs of praise for food and harvest press,
 While of Your richer gifts we’re unaware.

This is a fitting call to repentance for every steward. Our thankfulness is so often shallow. We get comfortable with the overflowing blessings we have entrusted to us by the Lord. These trusts are so many that the steward often forgets the One who entrusts them. Worse, with so many physical trusts evident, the steward loses sight of the greatest trust: the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The failed steward sees so much plenty that they lose sight of the treasure: Jesus!