I have some news to break to you!
It's not yours. No, this isn't the Maury Povich show, 'it' is not referring to a baby . . . yet it is (if you're a parent) along with everything else.
Your life~ not yours.
Your children~ not yours.
Your parents~ not yours.
Your siblings~ not yours.
Your job~ not yours.
Your money~ not yours.
Wait a minute! It is MY money I earn it!! Nope, not yours.
Your house, your car, your gifts and talents . . . NONE of it is yours!
I hate the term, and shake my head in disgust at the phrase, 'self-made,' because unless you are responsible for yourself breathing ALL of us are 'God-made' no matter how big or impressive your rags to riches story or how many millions you've made as an entrepreneur by starting from scratch.
I hate the term, and shake my head in disgust at the phrase, 'self-made,' because unless you are responsible for yourself breathing ALL of us are 'God-made' no matter how big or impressive your rags to riches story or how many millions you've made as an entrepreneur by starting from scratch.
Don't believe me? All of it every single blessing-- whether it is a person, possession or something intangible . . . it ALL belongs to God! James 1:17, 'Every good and perfect gift is from above.'
And 1 Col. 1:17, 'Christ comes before all things and in Him all things hold together.'
Everything belongs to God, yet He was just gracious enough to give it to you. There is one thing for certain~ a hand-me-down from Almighty God is the best kind of hand-me-down you can receive. Those of you who come from big families, with many siblings, know exactly what I'm talking about.
But before you go into 'auto-pilot' mode, let me caution you and remind you (and myself) of Luke 12:48, 'To whom much is given, much is REQUIRED.'
In the same vein, our salvation was bought with a price (1 Cor. 7:23) . Because of that debt Jesus paid on the cross, we are not supposed to become enslaved to the world/sin, we are to pay rent for all the blessings He rains down on us.
That rent required of us is stewardship. It's taking on an attitude of gratitude, knowing whatever you possess the Lord could've given to someone else and it just so happens, He chose you for reasons only He knows! It's managing and being obedient with what you've been given.
Something awesome happens when you realize/grasp that none of what you possess is yours and that you are just expected to take care of everything the Lord has entrusted to you.
For example, think of how much you love your children and want to protect them, guide them, provide for them. Some parents worry themselves sick over their kids. While that's natural, think of how much pressure is lifted, when you just turn them over to God . . . after all, your son or your daughter is His anyway!
You don't have to be the perfect Dad, the perfect Mom, (what a relief, right?!) you're simply just supposed to do what Proverbs 22:6 says.
'Direct your children onto the right path and when they are older, they will not leave it.'
After all, if you try to be too lax, they will 'act out'/misbehave because all children, deep down, want parameters and boundaries (they want to know you care) . . . if you are too strict, and try to rule with an iron fist, they are going to rebel, so while I'm not a parent or expert in the field of parenting, it's probably best to find that 'middle ground' and know they are in God's hands no matter what.
Pray a hedge of protection, against satan and his henchmen, in the blood of Jesus/Yeshua (His name in Hebrew) over your child, ask Him to commission angels around them and ask Jesus to guide their path and accomplish His will and purpose in their lives!
You don't have to be the perfect Dad, the perfect Mom, (what a relief, right?!) you're simply just supposed to do what Proverbs 22:6 says.
'Direct your children onto the right path and when they are older, they will not leave it.'
After all, if you try to be too lax, they will 'act out'/misbehave because all children, deep down, want parameters and boundaries (they want to know you care) . . . if you are too strict, and try to rule with an iron fist, they are going to rebel, so while I'm not a parent or expert in the field of parenting, it's probably best to find that 'middle ground' and know they are in God's hands no matter what.
Pray a hedge of protection, against satan and his henchmen, in the blood of Jesus/Yeshua (His name in Hebrew) over your child, ask Him to commission angels around them and ask Jesus to guide their path and accomplish His will and purpose in their lives!
When you adopt this attitude that nothing is yours if, God forbid, you lose your child to death, you lose your job, you lose your spouse to divorce, you lose your girlfriend or boyfriend to breakup, you lose your house, your car, etc. you aren't devastated.
Hurt? Yes. Disappointed? Yes. Heart-broken . . . possibly, after all, you are human, but NOT devastated!
Am I guilty of letting past circumstances devastate me? I would be a hypocrite and a liar if I said no, but I am, moving forward, trying to no longer be the ship so easily tossed about by the waves.
Some of us have more than others, some of us have less, but ALL of us are blessed . . . particularly if you live in America as many of us do. However, the reality is, if you have breath in your lungs and a lub-dub on the left side of your chest you are blessed and have much to be thankful for!
Perhaps the most beautiful thing about viewing NOTHING as being yours is you demonstrate TRUE TRUST by recognizing God is sovereign, in control and is able! By doing that you are simply saying you're God and I'm not . . . you acknowledge you are dependant and subservient. You show you know His wisdom is infinite and calling our wisdom finite may even be a stretch.
Another benefit of viewing yourself as a steward not an owner is you guard your heart from being crushed when life's waves crash down on top of you. . . because you never owned it in the first place.
Job 1:21 'The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.'
One thing is certain, over the course of a lifetime, you will likely experience great loss~ the moments where God 'takes away' or allows terrible tragedy, but don't lose your way, just continue to trust.
Take heart in knowing one day in Heaven we will know why 'it' happened (John 13:7), but in the meantime let's just be good tenants, paying our daily rent and allowing how we manage ourselves, our bodies, our families, our jobs, our finances to all be forms of worship to the Gifter and Provider of all we have.
Am I guilty of letting past circumstances devastate me? I would be a hypocrite and a liar if I said no, but I am, moving forward, trying to no longer be the ship so easily tossed about by the waves.
Some of us have more than others, some of us have less, but ALL of us are blessed . . . particularly if you live in America as many of us do. However, the reality is, if you have breath in your lungs and a lub-dub on the left side of your chest you are blessed and have much to be thankful for!
Perhaps the most beautiful thing about viewing NOTHING as being yours is you demonstrate TRUE TRUST by recognizing God is sovereign, in control and is able! By doing that you are simply saying you're God and I'm not . . . you acknowledge you are dependant and subservient. You show you know His wisdom is infinite and calling our wisdom finite may even be a stretch.
Another benefit of viewing yourself as a steward not an owner is you guard your heart from being crushed when life's waves crash down on top of you. . . because you never owned it in the first place.
Job 1:21 'The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.'
One thing is certain, over the course of a lifetime, you will likely experience great loss~ the moments where God 'takes away' or allows terrible tragedy, but don't lose your way, just continue to trust.
Take heart in knowing one day in Heaven we will know why 'it' happened (John 13:7), but in the meantime let's just be good tenants, paying our daily rent and allowing how we manage ourselves, our bodies, our families, our jobs, our finances to all be forms of worship to the Gifter and Provider of all we have.
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