Friday 3rd April - Everything is God's!

DAILY BYTE

So far this week we have learnt that our relationship with both money and possessions (stuff) is of crucial importance to our continuing spiritual health and growth. Understanding the realities of what we allow our hearts to treasure, and finding out what God’s heart treasures (values) in turn is a vital part of this process. However, if we had to boil all of this down to just one word that most succinctly describes our role in all of this it would be ‘attitude’. Allow me to explain.

There is a wonderful word the Bible uses to describe our role in God’s kingdom … stewards. I know the word sounds a little old-fashioned and, but it would be really sad if the church stopped using it. This is because the word ‘steward’, and the whole concept of stewardship, beautifully sum-up some of the reasons God created us and put us on this earth.

A steward is someone who manages something they do not personally own on behalf of someone else. Jesus told many stories about stewards, people who were appointed to care for things like money, or a farm, while the rightful owner was away. In the same way the Bible encourages us to see ourselves as stewards, and that God has given everyone of us responsibility to care for things on his behalf.

Jesus’ attitude towards possessions, money, and indeed all earthly things, is that we should NEVER see them as ours. Jesus emphasised that in fact, everything is God’s!

As Psalm 24:1 declares, ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.’ As difficult as this is to get to grips with, this includes everything we think we possess: from our money, to our gifts and talents, to even our most precious relationships. Jesus’ call to follow him includes the challenge to entrust everything we THINK we own over to God!!

God then entrusts us to care for these things on his behalf. I really am not exaggerating when I say that what we are discussing today is an essential Kingdom principle. There is a huge difference (spiritually, emotionally and psychologically) between actually owning something, or caring for it on behalf of someone else.

In a world which is so dominated by grabbing, owning and hoarding, it is in fact very freeing to acknowledge that everything we have is actually owned by God!

PRAY AS YOU GO

O’Lord, this whole earth is yours and everything in it! Forgive us for the times we sell ourselves short and live our lives trying to own, and possess, and hoard. We hand everything over to you. We pray that you would teach us to live as stewards of your good things. In Jesus name. Amen.

FOCUS READING

Psalm 24

The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;