The psalmist writes in Psalm 104:14 – You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth
When I was younger, if we found something on the ground that had clearly been lost, we would say, “Finders, keepers, losers, weepers.” Meaning, someone lost it, but I found it, so now it’s mine.
Now I am willing to bet that none of you say that any more as adults. You’re not out there walking with your spouse and see a dollar and say, “Finders, keepers, losers, weepers!” But even though we don’t say that anymore, we still think that.
That’s because we often fall into the trap of thinking what we have found (whether it be on the ground, or through purchase, or inheritance, or anything else), we think is ours!
“It’s my life! It’s my choice! It’s my job! I earned it. It’s mine!”
And while the job title may have your name on it, and the house with your name on the deed, and the family with your last name, the reality is that it is not truly yours. Ultimately, it is God’s!
You may think, “But Kyle, I earned that money with own hard work!” And that may be true, but it is God who gave you the ability to work hard. It is God who caused all the stuff to grow.
The psalmist says, “You (God) cause the grass to grow.” It is God who sets things in motion to work. It is God makes things produce.
In Colossians 1, Paul talks about how Jesus is the creator of all things. All things were made BY him, THROUGH him, and FOR him.
Now with this in mind, can we really say that something is genuinely ours? Can we truly say that the house that we bought is ours? Can we truly say the job we have is truly ours?
No! It is God’s. He created all things and he sustains all things. That job we have is because of him. It is all because and through and for Jesus.
So what’s the big deal about this?
If everything is truly God’s, then we should treat things accordingly. The job we have, that God has blessed us with, should be treated in a way that glorifies God, not us. The house we have, that God created, should be used for his glory, not ours. The children we have, which may have come out of your body, are still because of God, and should be treated as Gods.
And if that is the case, then we are not truly owners of things, but caretakers. None of us want to treat things that are not ours poorly. We want to return them in good shape. Likewise, God has given us a life, a job, a family, and possessions. Not just for our own pleasure, so that we will use them for God’s glory.
So I want to challenge you… be a good caretaker of what God has blessed you with. Don’t waste it. Use it well for God’s glory.