We give Thee but Thine own,Short and sweet, but think of the ramifications.
Whate'er the gift may be;
All that we have is Thine alone,
A trust, O Lord, from Thee.
Scripture says that "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof" (Psa 24:1). In Deuteronomy we read, "Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it" (Deut 10:14). In the New Testament we read, "All things were created through Him and for Him" (Col 1:16) and "Who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor? Or who has given a gift to Him that He might be repaid? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen" (Rom 11:34-36).
Imagine if we bought that line of thinking. What would it look like? Your spouse, your kids, your family don't belong to you. Your job, your finances, your home, your belongings don't belong to you. Your life, your goals, your gifts and talents don't belong to you. They are all -- completely and totally -- a gift from God. You are their caretaker, intended to use them all for His glory. How would life look different if we thought of it in those terms? Paul asks, "What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?" (1 Cor 4:7). Good question.
2 comments:
Because of our participation, we feel that what we have is our own, but we are simply stewards of what He has given us. We need to take that to heart so that we can glorify Him more in wealth and in want.
Although “…your belongings don’t belong to you” reads like a contradiction, your words are true; I know that everything I have comes from God and should be used for His glory. As only a steward of these things, I must fight the inclination to become self-directed, possessive, and even covetous in the areas you mention. (Yes, I am often possessive about my possessions! :) Surrendering ownership back to God might seem straightforward, but I have found that living that out is actually quite challenging and requires constant readjustments in my actions and attitudes. I am helped by remembering that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17) and that the Lord is the true treasure on which to focus.
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